INDONESIA CALLS ON ASEAN STATES TO COOPERATE TO ADDRESS BOAT PEOPLE PROBLEM

JAKARTA, Feb 6 (Bernama) -- Indonesia has called on Asean countries to work
together to address the problem of boat people, which in the last two months has
had Indonesia providing refuge for 391 boat people believed to be Rohingyas from
Myanmar.

Foreign Minister Hassan Wirajuda said the boat people landed in groups on
islands near Aceh and were given temporary refuge, while some received treatment
at the hospitals.

In light of this, he urged their country or countries of origin to address
the factors that made these people flee their country in boats to seek asylum in
other countries.

"The measures should include putting an end to human rights abuses against
minorities, while the boat people must not be physically harmed when on transit
in another country or chased out to sea," he told a press conference, here,
Friday.

He said the problem of boat people seeking asylum would indeed burden other
countries in the Asean grouping.

Hassan said all the Asean countries were bound by the Asean Charter which
became effective on Dec 15 last year, and the principles of the charter included
upholding international law with respect to human rights, social justice and
multilateral trade, besides emphasising regional cooperation.

Other than urging all the Asean member states to find a solution to the
Rohingya refugee problem, Hassan said the Indonesian government was also
undertaking other diplomatic measures by increasing cooperation with
international organisations like the United Nations High Commission for Refugees
and International Committee of the Red Cross.

"The Indonesian government is consistently looking at the problem as an
international problem, and resolving it should involve the participation of the
refugees' country of origin, the transit countries and receiving countries," he
said.

He added that Indonesia was trying to get the ministerial meeting, known as
the Bali Process, to be brought forward to discuss the issue of human
trafficking. The meeting has been scheduled for June.

Hassan also announced that US Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton was
scheduled to visit Indonesia from Feb 18 to 19 and meet Indonesian President
Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono to discuss improving bilateral relations.

Clinton's first official visit to the region will also include Japan, South
Korea and China.
-- BERNAMA