VZCZCXRO1144
OO RUEHDT RUEHPB
DE RUEHJA #1907 3220741
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 180741Z NOV 09
FM AMEMBASSY JAKARTA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 3865
INFO RUCNARF/ASEAN REGIONAL FORUM COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEHLM/AMEMBASSY COLOMBO 1607
RUEHKA/AMEMBASSY DHAKA 1631
RUEHBUL/AMEMBASSY KABUL 0090
RUEHNE/AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI 2729
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC

UNCLAS JAKARTA 001907 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR EAP, EAP/MTS, EAP/MLS, EAP/PD, EAP/RSP, DRL 
NSC FOR D. WALTON 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV PREL PREF ID AS CE AF
SUBJECT: CASE INVOLVING SRI LANKAN MIGRANTS SUCCESSFULLY 
RESOLVED 
 
REF: JAKARTA 01895 AND PREVIOUS 
 
¶1.  (U)  This message is Sensitive but Unclassified -- Please 
handle accordingly. 
 
¶2.  (SBU) SUMMARY:  A month-long asylum-related stand-off 
came to end on November 16 when 56 Sri Lankan migrants agreed 
to leave a ship moored near an island off of Sumatra.  The 
migrants will now be processed by UNHCR, and will be on their 
way to Australia if the GOA and UNHCR judge them to be 
genuine refugees.  In the meantime, 250 Sri Lankans remain on 
a cargo ship in western Java.  The case of the 250 migrants 
has been turned over to the Indonesian Ministry of Foreign 
Affairs, which is working to resolve the situation.  The GOI 
continues to work flexibly and within international norms to 
handle the up-tick in irregular migrants intercepted as they 
head toward Australia.  END SUMMARY. 
 
STAND-OFF COMES TO AN END 
 
¶3.  (U) There is good news regarding a migrant-related case 
in Indonesia.  A month long stand-off involving 56 Sri Lankan 
asylum seekers and the GOI came to an end on November 16 when 
the migrants agreed to disembark from a vessel.  They will 
join 22 compatriots who left the ship--which is moored off of 
Bintan Island near Sumatra--on November 13.  The UNHCR, in 
coordination with the Indonesian and Australian governments, 
will expeditiously process claims for asylum and, if they so 
merit, the GOA will accept the migrants as refugees. 
 
SRI LANKANS REMAIN IN WESTERN JAVA 
 
¶4.  (SBU) Another tranche of Sri Lankan migrants remains in 
limbo.  On November 16, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs 
(Deplu) replaced immigration authorities as the agency in 
charge of handling the case of the 250 Sri Lankans who have 
been moored off of the coast of West Java for more than a 
month.  The asylum seekers are demanding to be taken to 
Australia and have refused to leave their boat.  However, in 
line with well-established procedures, the group must first 
turn themselves over to Indonesian immigration officials, who 
will then identify them.  Pending the result of the 
investigation immigration will turn their cases over to the 
UNHCR.  The UNHCR will then determine whether they qualify 
for refugee status.  The seven irregular migrants who left 
the boat nearly a month ago are currently being held in a 
detention center waiting for the UNHCR to rule on their 
applications for asylum. 
 
¶5.  (SBU) Despite various press reports, International 
Organization for Migration (IOM) representatives say that 
they continue to work on the case of the 250 migrants.  IOM 
says it has representatives stationed near the boat.  IOM has 
noted that it has concerns that some of the migrants on the 
boat are irascible and difficult to deal with.  Nonetheless, 
the organization is committed to working with the GOI, GOA, 
and UNHCR on their cases. 
 
GOI WORKS FLEXIBLY AND WITHIN INTERNATIONAL NORMS 
 
¶6.  (SBU) The GOI continues to act per international norms 
and regulations.  Indonesian officials are working full-time 
to resolve the cases, and, in doing this, they are in close 
touch with Australia, Sri Lanka, and international 
organizations.  As reported, there has been an up-tick in the 
number of irregular migrants on their way to Australia 
intercepted by the GOI this year.  This situation is 
overtaxing the capacity of the GOI and localities to deal 
with it.  Mission is in touch with the GOI, urging it to 
continue down the constructive path it has chosen. 
 
HUME