Indonesia welcomes NZ's acceptance of refugees

Indonesia has welcomed New Zealand's decision to take more refugees from the Asia-Pacific region as part of its annual quota, says Prime Minister Helen Clark.

Refugees and people-smuggling were high on the agenda when she met Indonesian President Megawati Sukarnoputri for an hour in Jakarta yesterday.

Her visit took place as Immigration Minister Lianne Dalziel announced that New Zealand would take another 140 refugees from Iraq and Afghanistan as part of its annual quota of 750.

They are due to arrive this week from refugee camps in Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia and Nauru, and include some rescued by the Norwegian freighter the Tampa.

Helen Clark said the Indonesians welcomed the news that New Zealand would take more of its quota from the Asia-Pacific.

Indonesia is considered an easy transit point for people-smuggling because of its lax border control.

Some refugees pay up to $US4000 ($9019) for passage on unseaworthy boats that often sink or are turned back.

Helen Clark said a crackdown on people-smuggling since the Tampa episode appeared to be working.

"I suppose the facts speak from themselves - that since November last year no boats have reached Australia.

"That's because of a mix of the Indonesian authorities' crackdown, plus Australia's absolute determination to stop people getting there.

"If boats are going to start running it would be from now on through to monsoon season again, but so far a mixture of deterrence measures have been relatively effective and New Zealand's heavy penal threats are part of that overall mix."

The leaders also discussed aid and co-operation in education, regional security, fisheries and agriculture.

Helen Clark, who plans to attend independence celebrations in East Timor on May 20, urged Mrs Megawati to go as well, but acknowledged that the Indonesian leader was under pressure to stay away.

Indonesian authorities had acted in "good faith" in the prosecution of Private Leonard Manning's killer and the return of more than 200,000 refugees to East Timor, said Helen Clark.

New Zealand still had concerns on human rights issues, such as the role of the Indonesian military in Aceh and Papua - where separatists have been fighting for independence - and believed the authorities needed to do more to settle religious divides between Muslims and Christians in Sulawesi and Malukus.

On trade, Helen Clark said Mrs Megawati had noted that the balance was in New Zealand's favour.

"They would like to get their trade up and they're very keen on scientific help and technical cooperation."

Helen Clark said two-way trade rose 25 per cent last year and New Zealand's exports to Indonesia now exceeded the level before the Asian financial crisis, which began in mid-1997.

"I believe that the democratic transition that is taking place in Indonesia gives the two Governments a much broader basis of shared values on which to conduct the dialogue."

- NZPA

Feature: Indonesia and East Timor

CIA World Factbook: Indonesia (with map)

Dept. of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Indonesia

Antara news agency

Indonesian Observer

The Jakarta Post

UN Transitional Administration in E Timor

East Timor Action Network