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| Indonesia accuses Australia of bribing people smugglers | Indonesia accuses Australia of bribing people smugglers |
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| Indonesia and Australia are embroiled in a diplomatic row over allegations that people smugglers were bribed at sea by Australian officials to turn their boats around. | Indonesia and Australia are embroiled in a diplomatic row over allegations that people smugglers were bribed at sea by Australian officials to turn their boats around. |
| In a dramatic few days of revelations, the Indonesians have put on display tens of thousands of US dollars that it alleges Australia paid to smugglers in May and paraded a smuggler captain who detailed how Australian spies bribed him at sea to turn back. | In a dramatic few days of revelations, the Indonesians have put on display tens of thousands of US dollars that it alleges Australia paid to smugglers in May and paraded a smuggler captain who detailed how Australian spies bribed him at sea to turn back. |
| Related: Did Australia pay people-smugglers to turn back asylum seekers? | Related: Did Australia pay people-smugglers to turn back asylum seekers? |
| Australia’s foreign minister, Julie Bishop, rejected the accusations on Monday by suggesting that Indonesia was to blame for failing to secure its borders in the first place. | Australia’s foreign minister, Julie Bishop, rejected the accusations on Monday by suggesting that Indonesia was to blame for failing to secure its borders in the first place. |
| Indonesian police then released photos of what they say is US$31,000 (£19,600) that they accuse Australian authorities of using to persuade smugglers to turn around a boat carrying 65 migrants. | Indonesian police then released photos of what they say is US$31,000 (£19,600) that they accuse Australian authorities of using to persuade smugglers to turn around a boat carrying 65 migrants. |
| A police interview was conducted on Wednesday in front of media with Yohanis Humiang, the boat’s captain. | A police interview was conducted on Wednesday in front of media with Yohanis Humiang, the boat’s captain. |
| Humiang said an Australian navy warship and an Australian customs ship intercepted his boat, the Andika, on 19 May, according to excerpts from the interview published in the Sydney Morning Herald. | Humiang said an Australian navy warship and an Australian customs ship intercepted his boat, the Andika, on 19 May, according to excerpts from the interview published in the Sydney Morning Herald. |
| "If such payments were made, the government is pouring more sugar on the table for people smugglers" | "If such payments were made, the government is pouring more sugar on the table for people smugglers" |
| Humiang was quoted as saying that an Australian official called “Agus” paid him and five other crew members thousands of dollars not to continue their voyage, which he said was to New Zealand, after he pleaded that he was trying to earn a living. | Humiang was quoted as saying that an Australian official called “Agus” paid him and five other crew members thousands of dollars not to continue their voyage, which he said was to New Zealand, after he pleaded that he was trying to earn a living. |
| If his claims are proven, experts believe Australia will have broken international, Indonesian and Australian law. | If his claims are proven, experts believe Australia will have broken international, Indonesian and Australian law. |
| Gen Endang Sunjaya, police chief of Nusa Tenggara Timur province in Indonesia, told reporters on Wednesday that the man who paid the smugglers was a plainclothes Australian spy. | Gen Endang Sunjaya, police chief of Nusa Tenggara Timur province in Indonesia, told reporters on Wednesday that the man who paid the smugglers was a plainclothes Australian spy. |
| The boat was was escorted to Greenhill Island in the Northern Territory, the smuggler said, and the asylum seekers were photographed. The crew and the asylum seekers then spent a night on the customs ship. They were given two wooden boats, with some fuel and a GPS, and told to head back, he said. | The boat was was escorted to Greenhill Island in the Northern Territory, the smuggler said, and the asylum seekers were photographed. The crew and the asylum seekers then spent a night on the customs ship. They were given two wooden boats, with some fuel and a GPS, and told to head back, he said. |
| One boat ran out of fuel and the second crashed into a reef before those on board were rescued near Rote Island by Indonesian authorities at the end of May, police and the smuggler said on Wednesday. | One boat ran out of fuel and the second crashed into a reef before those on board were rescued near Rote Island by Indonesian authorities at the end of May, police and the smuggler said on Wednesday. |
| The Australian government has invoked its “on-water matters” secrecy rule to defend its failure to comprehensively answer the claims. Pressed in parliament to respond to the allegations, the Australian prime minister, Tony Abbott, on Wednesday accused the opposition Labor party of asking “tawdry” questions. | The Australian government has invoked its “on-water matters” secrecy rule to defend its failure to comprehensively answer the claims. Pressed in parliament to respond to the allegations, the Australian prime minister, Tony Abbott, on Wednesday accused the opposition Labor party of asking “tawdry” questions. |
| “Not only is what this government has done legal, it is moral; it is absolutely moral, because the most moral thing to do is to stop the boats and save lives,” he said. | “Not only is what this government has done legal, it is moral; it is absolutely moral, because the most moral thing to do is to stop the boats and save lives,” he said. |
| The reports have renewed tensions between Australia and Indonesia. Australia’s ambassador, Paul Grigson, returned to his post in Jakarta only last week, five weeks after being pulled out in protest over the execution of two Australians who were among eight convicted drug smugglers. | The reports have renewed tensions between Australia and Indonesia. Australia’s ambassador, Paul Grigson, returned to his post in Jakarta only last week, five weeks after being pulled out in protest over the execution of two Australians who were among eight convicted drug smugglers. |
| Abbott said last Wednesday that executions of the two citizens would not permanently damage relations with Indonesia. | Abbott said last Wednesday that executions of the two citizens would not permanently damage relations with Indonesia. |
| Indonesia’s foreign ministry has launched an investigation into the allegations of using cash to turn around smugglers. “[IF] it turns out to be true, it would be a new low for the way the government of Australia handles the situation on irregular migration,” Indonesian foreign ministry spokesman, Armanatha Nasir, said. | Indonesia’s foreign ministry has launched an investigation into the allegations of using cash to turn around smugglers. “[IF] it turns out to be true, it would be a new low for the way the government of Australia handles the situation on irregular migration,” Indonesian foreign ministry spokesman, Armanatha Nasir, said. |
| Vedi Hadiz, professor of Asian Societies and Politics at Murdoch University in Australia, said that following public outrage from Australia at the execution of its citizens in Indonesia, Jakarta has used reports of Canberra collaborating with people smugglers to hit back. | Vedi Hadiz, professor of Asian Societies and Politics at Murdoch University in Australia, said that following public outrage from Australia at the execution of its citizens in Indonesia, Jakarta has used reports of Canberra collaborating with people smugglers to hit back. |
| “Indonesia is genuinely annoyed that its own national sovereignty is being breached by people smugglers who are financed by Australian tax money,” he told the Guardian on Wednesday. | “Indonesia is genuinely annoyed that its own national sovereignty is being breached by people smugglers who are financed by Australian tax money,” he told the Guardian on Wednesday. |
| “[But] it is an opportunity for the Indonesians to say: ‘Look, it is the Australians who are turning back boats, are putting people in detention centres and are actually paying criminals. Which one of us is actually the transgressor of international norms?” he said. | “[But] it is an opportunity for the Indonesians to say: ‘Look, it is the Australians who are turning back boats, are putting people in detention centres and are actually paying criminals. Which one of us is actually the transgressor of international norms?” he said. |
| Abbott has neither confirmed nor denied the allegation. He has said he was “confident that at all times Australian agencies have acted within the law”. | Abbott has neither confirmed nor denied the allegation. He has said he was “confident that at all times Australian agencies have acted within the law”. |
| “There’s really only one thing to say here, and that is that we’ve stopped the boats. That’s good for Australia, it’s good for Indonesia and it’s particularly good for all those who want to see a better world,” he told reporters in Canberra on Sunday. | “There’s really only one thing to say here, and that is that we’ve stopped the boats. That’s good for Australia, it’s good for Indonesia and it’s particularly good for all those who want to see a better world,” he told reporters in Canberra on Sunday. |
| These comments further enraged Jakarta, Hadiz said, in so far as Abbott was “basically ignoring Indonesian concerns about state funding criminal activity within their waters”. | These comments further enraged Jakarta, Hadiz said, in so far as Abbott was “basically ignoring Indonesian concerns about state funding criminal activity within their waters”. |
| Elaine Pearson, Australia director at Human Rights Watch, told the Guardian that the allegations show “an utter disregard for Australia’s obligations under international law”. | Elaine Pearson, Australia director at Human Rights Watch, told the Guardian that the allegations show “an utter disregard for Australia’s obligations under international law”. |
| “Although we do not have the facts about what exactly transpired at sea, cash payments to boat crews could facilitate people-smuggling, which would violate Indonesian, Australia and international law,” she said in an emailed statement. | |
| “In the past, the Australian prime minister has talked about taking sugar off the table for people smugglers, but if such payments were made, the government is pouring more sugar on the table for people smugglers by creating cash incentives for people to come to Australian waters.” | |
| Mark Getchell, the International Organisation for Migration’s chief of mission in Indonesia, told the Guardian that Australia’s Operation Sovereign Borders, which aims to stop maritime arrivals of asylum seekers by enforcing a policy of zero-tolerance, has had some success. | Mark Getchell, the International Organisation for Migration’s chief of mission in Indonesia, told the Guardian that Australia’s Operation Sovereign Borders, which aims to stop maritime arrivals of asylum seekers by enforcing a policy of zero-tolerance, has had some success. |
| “We haven’t really seen boats leaving since December 2014 because word has gotten around that they are being turned back.” he said on Wednesday. He said the IOM has noticed that very few boats are now leaving Indonesia. He said human smuggling boats are stopped by Australian authorities, given life jackets, fuel and food and told to return to Indonesia. | “We haven’t really seen boats leaving since December 2014 because word has gotten around that they are being turned back.” he said on Wednesday. He said the IOM has noticed that very few boats are now leaving Indonesia. He said human smuggling boats are stopped by Australian authorities, given life jackets, fuel and food and told to return to Indonesia. |
| Under Operation Sovereign Borders, asylum seekers who try to enter Australia are turned back or moved to detention centres offshore across the Pacific and are told that they will never be resettled in Australia. | Under Operation Sovereign Borders, asylum seekers who try to enter Australia are turned back or moved to detention centres offshore across the Pacific and are told that they will never be resettled in Australia. |
| Getchell said he had not heard of other smugglers being paid to return and that if the allegations are proven correct, it would be an “isolated incident”. | Getchell said he had not heard of other smugglers being paid to return and that if the allegations are proven correct, it would be an “isolated incident”. |
| “This is a rare instance of people smugglers testing the waters again,” he said on the telephone from Jakarta. | “This is a rare instance of people smugglers testing the waters again,” he said on the telephone from Jakarta. |
| The asylum seekers on board were mostly from Sri Lanka, but also Bangladesh and one from Burma. | The asylum seekers on board were mostly from Sri Lanka, but also Bangladesh and one from Burma. |
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