Jakarta passes the buck on asylum-seekers

The primary strategy of transit countries such as Indonesia in response to the influx of asylum-seekers is to pass the buck to destination countries such as Australia.

Jakarta passes the buck on asylum-seekers

Following his visit to Indonesia on the weekend, Kevin Rudd and Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono issued a joint communique emphasising a “regional approach” to asylum-seekers and rejecting any “unilateral actions” in an attempt to address the problem. Both leaders then reaffirmed a co-operative regional approach to the issue, including a summit of stakeholder countries later in the year.

The rhetoric of joint action is always seductive. But one should be sceptical about any effective Indonesia-led regional solution succeeding, even if it makes sense for Canberra to continue trying for one.

This is so as the primary strategy of so-called transit countries such as Indonesia in response to the influx of asylum-seekers is to pass the buck to destination countries such as Australia.

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Source: The Australian.