Australia moves to ease tensions with Indonesia

CANBERRA - Australia will try to patch up its strained relations with Indonesia this week as it seeks greater cooperation against people-smugglers who use the archipelago as a stepping stone to its shores.

Australian Foreign Minister Alexander Downer, who plans to visit Indonesia this week, said that the standoff over the Norwegian freighter Tampa and its cargo of asylum-seekers could not halt attempts by the two countries to stop people smuggling.

"What we want to make sure we can do is gradually build a process where Indonesia is able to strengthen its capacity to stop this illegal trade," Downer told Australia's Channel Seven television network.

"I hope my visit with [Immigration Minister Philip] Ruddock later this week will be a significant building block in taking that forward."

Australia has said that the migrants are Indonesia's responsibility as it was their last port of embarkation. Indonesia has flatly refused to take them and attempts by Australian Prime Minister John Howard to contact President Megawati Sukarnoputri, have failed, with the new Indonesian leader refusing to take his calls. Downer and Ruddock will seek a medium-term solution to the problem.

Australia has announced plans to boost its military presence in international waters between the two countries.

Howard said the strengthened patrols would involve five naval vessels and four aircraft. The Government says it has intelligence suggesting a further 5000 people are waiting in Indonesia for passage to Australia.

In Kuala Lumpur a senior official said Malaysia had intensified patrols along the Malacca Strait and was working closely with Indonesia and Australia to fight people-smuggling.

United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan has welcomed Australia's solution but chided Australia for refusing to take them in the first place. The UN refugee agency had proposed that the asylum-seekers be allowed to land on Australia's Christmas Island outpost as a temporary measure while their claims were being processed.

- AGENCIES