[Kabar-indonesia] 35 Vietnamese refugees found in W. Kalimantan waters

[Joyo at aol.com]

35 Vietnamese refugees found in West Kalimantan waters

PONTIANAK, West Kalimantan, November 7 (AP): A wooden boat
carrying Vietnamese asylum seekers to Australia was found
drifting in Indonesian waters and was towed Monday to West
Kalimantan capital of Pontianak, a local official said.

A group of 35 Vietnamese, including three women and three
infants were on board the boat, which was found in Karimata
Strait on Oct. 30, said Wan Menak Salimudin, head of the
local office of Justice and Human Rights Department.

The Vietnamese said they were from Xa Trung Finh village in
the subdistrict of Havien Long Phu in South Vietnam, and
left their country Sep. 19 for Australia. But 11 days later,
their boat developed engine trouble around Natuna Island in
the SouthChina Sea.

"They were found on Oct. 30 and the boat was towed to nearby
village of Pagar Antimun in Ketapang District," Salimudin
said.

On Monday the boat and the Vietnamese were towed to the
province capital Pontianak, he said.

He added the group will be flown Wednesday to Batam, an
Indonesian island just south of Singapore.

"While in Batam, they will be offered to be flown back to
Vietnam or waiting for arrangement with any third country
which is prepared to accept them," he said.

Pontianak, the capital of West Kalimantan, is about 750
kilometers north of Jakarta.

------------------------------------------
Joyo Indonesia News Service
------------------------------------------