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DE RUEHBY #1011/01 3220650
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O 180650Z NOV 09
FM AMEMBASSY CANBERRA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 2244
INFO RUEHLM/AMEMBASSY COLOMBO PRIORITY 0660
RUEHDT/AMEMBASSY DILI PRIORITY 0215
RUEHJA/AMEMBASSY JAKARTA PRIORITY 5560
RUEHNE/AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI PRIORITY 1207
RUEHWL/AMEMBASSY WELLINGTON PRIORITY 0158
RUEHPT/AMCONSUL PERTH PRIORITY 5043
RUEHBN/AMCONSUL MELBOURNE PRIORITY 6777
RUEHDN/AMCONSUL SYDNEY PRIORITY 5045
RHHMUNA/CDR USPACOM HONOLULU HI PRIORITY
RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA PRIORITY 2038

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 CANBERRA 001011 
 
NOFORN 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR P, D, EAP, PRM, EAP/ANP, EAP/MTS 
NSC FOR LOI 
PACOM FOR PICCUTA 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/18/2019 
TAGS: PREL ELAB PREF SMIG AS
SUBJECT: ASYLUM-SEEKER STAND-OFF SOLVED BUT RUDD UNDER 
PRESSURE 
 
REF: A. CANBERRA 1006 
     ¶B. JAKARTA 1895 
     ¶C. JAKARTA 1793 
     ¶D. CANBERRA 807 
     ¶E. CANBERRA 934 
     ¶F. CANBERRA 255 
 
Classified By: Political/Economic Counselor Edgard Kagan, Reasons  1.4 
(B and D) 
 
 ¶1. (C/NF) SUMMARY: The remaining 56 Tamil asylum seekers on 
board an Australian Customs vessel have agreed to disembark 
in Indonesia today following a stand-off which lasted over a 
month (Refs A and C). Like their 22 counterparts who left on 
Friday, they have been enticed to leave by guarantees offered 
by Australian officials, ending an increasingly embarassing 
domestic political problem and irritant with Indonesia. The 
Opposition is accusing the Rudd government of sending signal 
of weakness to people smugglers, botching relations with 
Indonesia and providing a "special deal" for the Tamils. 
Though not covering itself with glory, the GOA has achieved 
its aim of preventing the 78 Tamil being processed in 
Australia. Australia and Indonesia continue to negotiate a 
major agreement to combat people smuggling. END SUMMARY. 
 
STANDOFF ENDS 
 
¶2. (SBU) On Monday 17, the remaining 56 asylum seekers on 
board the Oceanic Viking agreed to disembark in Indonesia the 
following day. They will be taken to the Australian built 
detention centre in Tanjung Pinang. Like their 22 
counterparts that left on Friday, they were persuaded by an 
offer by Australian officials that those already deemed to be 
refugees would be resettled between 4-6 weeks, and others 
found to be refugees would be resettled within 12 weeks. 
English language classes and help contacting family members 
were also offered. The government appears to have achieved 
its aim of preventing the 78 Tamils - who were intercepted in 
Indonesia's search and rescue zone - being processed in 
Australia. 
 
RUDD DENIES "SPECIAL DEAL" 
 
¶3. (C/NF) Prime Minister Kevin Rudd insists the 78 were not 
given a "special deal" and that "the group is being treated 
in a manner consistent with that afforded to any other asylum 
seeker in Indonesia." However, the Opposition and some 
serious commentators ridiculed this, pointing out that other 
refugees in Indonesia waiting for resettlement have no such 
guarantees. In the right-leaning newspaper "The Australian", 
foreign editor Greg Sheridan wrote: "For some bizarre reason 
Rudd keeps saying the people on the Oceanic Viking have not 
got a special deal. This simply defies the ordinary meaning 
of language and common sense. The first principle of good 
foreign policy is generally to tell the truth." Opposition 
Leader Malcolm Turnbull condemned the deal as a capitulation 
that sends the wrong message to people smugglers.  Labor MP 
Michael Danby told us that Rudd's handling of the issue has 
raised questions about the Government's competence and 
reopened concerns within the Labor Party about the PM's 
tendency to micromanage. 
 
RELATIONS WITH INDONESIA STRAINED? 
 
¶4. (C/NF) Australia and Indonesia continue to negotiate a 
major agreement to combat people smuggling involving 
Australia providing more resources. Meanwhile, the Opposition 
QAustralia providing more resources. Meanwhile, the Opposition 
is linking the asylum seeker issue to President Yudhoyono's 
cancellation of this week's planned visit to Australia. One 
theory is that Rudd's "megaphone diplomacy" on the 78 Tamils 
caused political pressure for Yudhoyono; that the Indonesian 
public don't want to be a dumping ground for what they 
perceive is Australia's problem. 
 
¶5. (C/NF) COMMENT: Rudd appears to have achieved his main 
objective: Stopping the Tamils being processed by Australia 
at the Christmas Island detention center. However, Rudd will 
 
CANBERRA 00001011  002 OF 002 
 
 
likely pay a political price. The duration of the saga 
undermined the government's border protection credentials 
with the public while the PM's heavy-handed and increasingly 
awkward spinmeistering has alienated a media corps that has 
previously given him the benefit of the doubt on most issues. 
 While our contacts insist that the Australia-Indonesia 
relationship is strong enough to withstand such irritants, 
they appear genuinely concerned that this standoff driven 
largely by Australian domestic politics has cost goodwill 
with the Indonesians. 
CLUNE