Tony Abbott happy to be 'closed book' on border operations as Labor demands details on asylum boat turn-backs

Updated

Prime Minister Tony Abbott is making no apologies for the Government's silence on border protection operations, saying he is happy to cop criticism if it means stopping asylum seeker boats.

Labor and the Greens have again rounded on the Government today, demanding details on claims two boats were "pushed" back to Indonesia by the Navy.

The Government has said it will not comment on the "operational" matter - an approach Mr Abbott defended today.

"I'd rather be criticised a bit for being a bit of a closed book on the issue, and actually stop the boats," he said.

"I'm pleased to say that it's now several weeks since we've had a boat, and the less we talk about operational details on the water, the better when it comes to stopping the boats."

Opposition Leader Bill Shorten says the secrecy has to end.

"I don't think it's fair that no-one in Australia knows what is going on," he said.

"It's not enough to say that these matters are on water, therefore the Government can't tell you what's going on.

"The Jakarta Post shouldn't be the way in which Australian taxpayers find out what the Australian Abbott Government is doing."

Labor yesterday accused the Government of running a "Stalinist" and "North Korean"-style media blackout after refusing to comment on reports Australia will buy 16 lifeboats to ferry asylum seekers back to Indonesia.

Their call for an end to the secrecy follows comments from two men who say they were on board the boats that were towed back and claim to have been mistreated by the Navy.

Defence Force chief David Hurley today issued a statement rejecting those claims.

"In my view, our Navy, Army and Air Force personnel conduct themselves in a humane and considerate manner that is a credit to them and to the Australian Defence Force (ADF)," he said.

"Defence Force personnel assigned to Operation RESOLUTE are required to conduct operations in an unpredictable and demanding environment under intense scrutiny.

"They are trained to operate with the highest degree of professionalism and integrity and consistently demonstrate great compassion and courage, often at great risk to their own safety."

Customs later issued a similar statement denying the asylum seekers' mistreatment claims.



Indonesian officials at odds over turn-back policy

Indonesian government officials appear at odds over Indonesia's stance on the turn-back policy, with the country's military chief saying he agrees with the hardline measure, while the foreign and security affairs ministers reject it.

The chief of Indonesia's National Armed Forces, General Moeldoko, has told the Jakarta Post that he spoke with General Hurley about asylum seeker boats allegedly forced back into Indonesian waters by the Navy, and that he understands Australia's policy.

"Following [our] halted military cooperation with Australia, the country's Defence Force chief called me to discuss several issues, including how to deal with the boat people," General Moeldoko told the paper.

"I have agreed. Therefore, we don't need to feel offended."

A Defence spokesperson told the ABC a "positive" conversation occurred in mid-December between the pair, but declined to comment further on the content.

Mr Abbott says the conversation is evidence that the bilateral relationship remains strong.

He says the Government is acting within its international obligations and the Coalition's policy is "absolutely non-negotiable".

"We will do whatever is necessary, consistent with our international obligations and ordinary decency to stop the boats, and that's exactly what we are doing," he said.

However a spokesman for the office of Indonesia's coordinating legal and security affairs minister, which has been assigned to deal with the asylum-seeker issue, says there is no agreement on Australia's policy, echoing recent comments by foreign minister Marty Natalegawa.

"As far as I know, we have no such agreement," spokesman Agus Barnas told the Post.

"Also, our office hasn't been notified about any deals our military made [with Australia's]."

And Dr Natalegawa this week said: "On the push-back policy itself, let me put on record our rejection of the policy. Pushing back the boats is not a solution."

Greens question Abbott's knowledge on asylum agreement

Greens Senator Sarah Hanson-Young has questioned how much Mr Abbott knew about the alleged agreement between Australia and Indonesia's military.

"I thought it was astonishing this morning to hear the Prime Minister say 'A seeming conversation, a conversation that seemed to have occurred'," she said.

"What is going on? Does the Prime Minister know what is happening out on the high seas or is he just being phony Tony?

"Is this all about pulling the wool over the eyes of the Australian people?"

Senator Hanson-Young is warning against towing boats back to Indonesia.

"It's putting the lives of our Australian Navy and Customs personnel at risk," she said.

Neither Mr Abbott nor Immigration Minister Scott Morrison has been willing to describe what a tow-back operation involves.

In a statement, Mr Morrison repeated that the Government would not comment on "operational" matters.

"For operational security reasons, the Government does not disclose, confirm or otherwise comment on reports of on-water activities in relation to Operation Sovereign Borders," he said.

"Australian personnel serving within Border Protection Command conduct themselves professionally and responsibly, in accordance with their operational protocols."

Asylum seekers claim they were mistreated by Australian Navy

The apparent discord comes amid claims from two men who say they were mistreated by the Australian Navy when their asylum seeker boats were towed back towards Indonesia and abandoned at sea.

Though difficult to verify, both men's stories are strikingly similar.

One man named Yusuf identified himself as a Sudanese asylum seeker, and says he and his wife paid $6,000 to travel from Indonesia to Australia.

They boarded a boat with more than 40 others, and reached a small island off the coast of Darwin before the engine broke down on New Year's Day.

Yusuf says after the group called the United Nations for help, two Australian naval ships arrived.

The ship numbers he gave correlate to those for HMAS Parramatta and HMAS Glenelg.

Yusuf says the Navy used force on some people, including women, while transferring them to one of the Navy boats.

Yusuf says a number of people were restrained and that some of the people onboard jumped into the water.

"Some of our people, they jump on the water as a protest. Nine people, and then they take them aboard," he said.

It was the start of a tow-back that was to last five days.

Sorry, this video has expired Video: Asylum seekers claim they were towed and abandoned at sea (7pm TV News ACT)

Yusuf says those onboard were told they were being taken to Christmas Island, denied their satellite and navigation tools and given one meal a day.

He claims the Navy fixed one of the boat's engines before the asylum seekers were forced back onto their boat.

He says the Navy then abandoned the group in the middle of the night, in rough seas off Indonesia's Rote Island.

They made it ashore on the island, and are now in an immigration centre in Kupang.

Yusuf's account is similar to a story told by Marke, who identified himself as Somali.

He was onboard the first boat reportedly towed back to Indonesian territory on December 10.

Marke also claims there was some rough handling of asylum seekers by personnel from HMAS Parramatta and HMAS Maitland.

Marke says his experience was a simple roping manoeuvre, followed by a tactical deception about their destination.

"They put a rope. Then they said, 'We are going to Australia, to Christmas Island'. They told us a lie," he said.

A few days later Marke and his fellow asylum seekers were put back onto their boat.

Boat arrivals sent to back of queue for family reunion visas

Meanwhile, the Federal Government has moved to make it harder for refugees who arrived by boat and are now living in Australia to be reunited with their families.

Mr Morrison says anyone who arrives by boat will go to the back of the queue when applying for family reunion visas.

The move applies retrospectively to people as far back as 2001.

In a statement, Mr Morrison says those who arrive by boat should not be prioritised over applicants who arrive in Australia through legitimate means.

Topics: immigration, community-and-society, federal-government, defence-and-national-security, indonesia, australia

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