Papuans held on Horn

The following sees the new asylum seeker regime in operation. West Papuans are held in custody on an offshore island that has been excised from Australia's migration zone, while government officials stitch up a grubby arrangement with PNG or Nauru to detain these people. The apologist class cheer from the sidelines for realpolitik, 'the bleeding hearts are at it again', your average Aussie gets on with the daily grind while the Howard government spins another tale of deceit and disinformation. Situation normal....

The Torres News reports "three indigenous West Papuans from Indonesia, taken into custody by Australian authorities on Boigu on May 6, continued to be detained under guard on Horn Island as the Australian Government worked to send them back to Papua New Guinea. As Boigu (and the rest of the Torres Strait) has been excised from Australia’s migration zone, the men have been classified as “offshore entry people” and will not be processed in Australia, said Immigration minister Amanda Vanstone.
“They are not entitled to make any application under the Migration Act,” she said.
“As they arrived from PNG, which is party to the Refugee’s Convention, return options to PNG first need to be explored”.
The detention of the three men follows a major diplomatic row between Australia and Indonesia following the January arrival of 42 asylum seekers on
Cape York.
Indonesia withdrew its Ambassador to Australia in March after the asylum seekers were granted temporary protection visas that allowed them to remain in the country.
To avoid a similar incident, the John Howard-led government has proposed tough new border protection laws, which would see all asylum seekers arriving by boat being taken to offshore dentention centres.
The new laws are expected to pave the way for the return of the Indonesian ambassador in the near future.
Also last week, a Papuan woman who claimed her daughter was taken to Australia against her will, now says she was forced to make the allegation under the threat of death.
Siti Wainggai’s daughter Anike, and her husband Herman, were among the 42 asylum seekers who arrived at Cape York.
Mrs Wainggai told the ABC last week that Indonesian intelligence offiers threatened her with death if she didn’t sign a prepared statement demanding the return of her daughter.
At the time of going to press, the three West Papuans were still being held under guard at the Gateway Resort."