The Indonesian Navy has moved to force an end to the six-month-long standoff between migration officials and Sri Lankan asylum seekers in the port of Merak, refugee advocates say.

 

 

Refugee advocate Pamela Curr said the navy had shown up along with government officials and staff from the United Nations High Commission for Refugees.

 

 

“The Indonesians wanted to frighten them,” Ms Curr said.

 

 

The boat was headed for Australia late last year when Prime Minister Kevin Rudd intervened.

 

 

Learning the boat was on the way, Mr Rudd phoned Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and asked him to stop it in Indonesian waters.

 

 

The Indonesian Navy apprehended the boat and took it to the Javan port of Merak on October 11.

 

 

But the Sri Lankans - then numbering 254, including 31 children - refused to get off the boat, fearing they’d have to wait years for resettlement if their refugee claims were processed in Indonesia.

 

 

Mr Rudd intervened after a similar scene with 78 asylum seekers who were taken aboard the Australian-owned Oceanic Viking Customs vessel earlier in 2009.

 

 

Australiapicked up the Tamils in international waters inside Indonesia’s search and rescue zone in October and took them to the Indonesian island of Bintan.

 

 

But the group refused to leave the Australian vessel and enter Bintan’s detention centre, sparking a four-week standoff.

 

 

The Rudd Government finally enticed them ashore with the promise of rapid processing and resettlement in a third country.

 

 

Indonesiapromised the group involved in the latest standoff it would not force them off the boat but that now appears to have come to an end.

 

 

Another refugee advocate, Ian Rintoul, says those on board the boat have been given five days grace before making a final decision.

 

 

“The government has withdrawn,” Mr Rintoul said.

 

 

He said the refugees retained some demands including verification from the high commission.

 

 

“There is still a bit of a standoff.”