In statements to the media, Prime Minister Tony Abbott again refused to deny allegations that Australian officials paid six so-called “people smugglers” $US5, 000 each in May to return 65 refugees to Indonesia against their will, the World Socialist Web Site reported.
Foreign Minister Julie Bishop and Immigration Minister Peter Dutton, who had earlier denied the claim, have now reverted to the same position as Abbott. The government’s stance can only be taken as a tacit admission that it has been caught out engaging in actions that are flagrantly illegal.
Indonesian police are investigating the allegations, which legal experts believe could be violations of Australian, Indonesian and international law. The office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has told media that it has independently verified the accusations.
The opposition Labor Party, which hopes to benefit from the scandal engulfing the government, has formally requested that the auditor-general investigate the alleged payment. The Greens are moving a motion in the Senate, the upper house of the Australian parliament, instructing the government to table any documents relating to payments made aimed at stopping refugees from reaching Australia.
The Abbott government has attempted to deflect the growing public attention by virulently denouncing Indonesia. In comments to the Australian, Foreign Minister Julie Bishop declared that “Indonesian boats with Indonesian crews are leaving Indonesia with the express intention of breaching our sovereignty, facilitated by illegal people smuggling syndicates.”
The allegation, however, which Abbott and his ministers refuse to deny, is that Australian authorities paid to have 65 people illegally transported to Indonesia. Indonesia’s foreign ministry spokesman, Arrmanatha Nasir, said on Saturday that if the claims were true, “it will be a new low for the way that the Australian government is handling this issue… This is endangering life. They were in the middle of the sea, but were pushed back.”
