[Kabar-indonesia] Papuan Dissident Warns Of Exodus Of Refugees To Australia

[JoyoNews at aol.com]

Papuan Dissident Warns Of Exodus Of Refugees To Australia

SYDNEY, Oct. 3 (AP) -- A dissident from Indonesia's restive Papua province on 
Tuesday predicted that an "exodus" of asylum seekers would flee to Australia 
in the coming weeks. 

Edison Warom's comments came nearly 10 months after 43 Papuan asylum seekers 
landed on Australia's northern coast, sparking a diplomatic rift between 
Jakarta and Canberra. 

"I can say that there will be more people leaving but I can't confirm what 
day 
and what time," Warom told the Australian Broadcasting Corp. Radio through 
an interpreter. 

"Because, if I say, then Jakarta will surely monitor the southern 
waters...but 
I will say there will be an exodus," Warom added. It wasn't clear whether he 
was speaking from Australia or Indonesia. 

Indonesia temporarily withdrew its ambassador from Australia in protest 
earlier this year after Canberra accepted the 43 Papuans as refugees, 
including supporters of the province's secessionist movement. 

Australia's Immigration Minister Amanda Vanstone she expected strong 
cooperation from Indonesia if any fresh refugees tried to reach Australia 
from Papua. 

"I would hope that there isn't another boatload for a number of reasons, 
it is the least safe way to seek asylum in Australia," Vanstone told the 
ABC. 

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Joyo Indonesia News Service
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