Labor Green Loon's Publicity Department:THEIR ABC Admits it had no evidence to back it's Aslyum Seekers story of torture by the Royal Australian Navy.

ABC TV in burns backdown: managing director Mark Scott admits no evidence Australian navy tortured asylum seekers

Tim Blair
The Daily Telegraph
February 5, 2014

THE ABC has backed down in the controversy over its reporting of claims that navy personnel tortured asylum seekers, apologising "if our reporting led anyone to mistakenly assume that the ABC supported the asylum seekers' claims".

A statement issued yesterday by ABC managing director Mark Scott and his news director Kate Torney admitted that video shown by the ABC of burned asylum seekers' hands did not establish how their hands had been injured.

MEDIA WATCH HOST: YES, I VOTED LIBERAL

MORRISON SAYS ABC SHOULD APOLOGISE

WHY DOES THE ABC HATE OUR NAVY?

ABBOTT BRANDS THE ABC UN-AUSTRALIAN


"The ABC's initial reports on the video said that the vision appeared to support the asylum seekers' claims," the statement reads. "That's because it was the first concrete evidence that the injuries had occurred. What the video did not do was establish how those injuries occurred."

The statement, published online by the ABC, indicated regret over how the asylum seekers' claims were presented.

"The wording around the ABC's initial reporting needed to be more precise on that point," it continued.

"We regret if our reporting led anyone to mistakenly assume that the ABC supported the asylum seekers' claims.

"The ABC has always presented the allegations as just that - claims worthy of further investigation."

The backdown follows criticism directed at the ABC from The Daily Telegraph, other media outlets, Immigration Minister Scott Morrison and Prime Minister Tony Abbott.

"A lot of people feel at the moment that the ABC instinctively takes everyone's side but Australia's," Mr Abbott said last week.

The ABC's own Media Watch program joined in the criticism on Monday night.

"The ABC overreached, by essentially endorsing the allegations of navy mistreatment on radio, TV and online throughout the day," Media Watch host Paul Barry said.

"Because even if the (Indonesian) police did back the asylum seekers' claims, there was no way of knowing they were true ... We believe the ABC should have been far more cautious, given the evidence it had, and given it was making such a big call against the navy."

On the same program, Barry caused a Twitter storm by admitting to voting Liberal in last year's federal election.

"Paul Barry broke my heart admitting he voted Liberal," sobbed one Twitter user.

"Paul Barry is god dang dead to me," wrote another.

Yet another shattered fan pleaded with the presenter: "You were joking when you said you voted Liberal, weren't you?"

Barry later confirmed he had voted Liberal.

USA Germany Russia supply Tanks F16's, Apache attack helicopters and Submarines to Indonesia as Indonesia continues to demand Australia cease defending its borders from Indonesian based Insurgents / asylum seekers

USA,Barack Husseine Obama & Germany supply 30 F-16 fighters,a dozen Apache attack helicopters and 103 Leopard battle tanks while Russia supplies 12 Submarines armed with cruise missiles.
I have to wonder who's side those 1700 US Marines recently stationed on Australian soil in Darwin will be on when Indonesia starts pushing buttons.
It could well be they are part of an Obama Muslim Brother Hood sabotage /advanced scout force,designed to pave the way for an Indonesian invasion.
Sydney's Occupied Territories should make for interesting viewing as the already embedded Jihadi's mobilise;

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Indonesia boosts military presence near Australia and ramps up efforts to increase its firepower

News
January 23, 2014

INDONESIA has boosted its military presence near Australia and ramped up a push to increase the firepower of its armed forces, according to a report.

It comes at a time of growing turmoil in Australia's relationship with Indonesia after revelations last week Australian Navy vessels breached Indonesia's territorial waters while enforcing the Coalition's asylum seeker policy.

As The Jakarta Post reports, Indonesia is greatly expanding its Marine Corps.
The nation is reportedly awaiting the delivery of 30 F-16 fighters, a dozen Apache attack helicopters and 103 Leopard battle tanks from the US and Germany, and is purchasing a dozen Russian submarines armed with cruise missiles.

The country has warned it will deploy navy vessels to patrol its coast after the Australian incursion last week. The nation's Air Force has also programmed four radars to monitor the country's southern border.

 She said the military should strengthen its "outward-looking" approach due to signs of escalating threats. The Post also quoted an anonymous official who said a clash at sea could be "imminent".

"Now that we have three frigates on the border, a clash could be imminent as our Navy will prevent the towing back," the official said.

One expert told news.com.au the military upgrade was a response to fears about Australia, which is "front and centre" in the country's mind at the moment, as well as concerns about other neighbours and growing powers such as India and China.

Professor Damien Kingsbury from Deakin University said: "Indonesia has always been pensive about its territorial integrity and Australia has played a role in that in the past."
"There's a sensitivity about that. If Indonesia did that to Australia we'd be very upset, if not more so," he said.

The Australian Government apologised to Indonesia after Navy vessels "inadvertently" breached Indonesia's territory "on several occasions" in recent weeks.
Australia's relationship with Indonesia has hit rocky waters recently, particularly because of the government's 'turn back the boats' policy and allegations from US intelligence whistleblower Edward Snowden that Australia spied on the country's president, Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, and his wife, Ani in 2009.

Prof Kingsbury said the Government had handled the spying issue "very poorly". "We needed to apologise and we needed to do it quickly and we didn't," he told news.com.au.
At a media interview at the weekend, Foreign Affairs Minister Julie Bishop said she works very closely with her Indonesian equivalent, Dr Marty Natalegawa.
"We're in regular communication, we are working together for the shared purpose of ensuring the people smuggling trade is dismantled but also that the Australia-Indonesia relationship is strengthened."
Opposition Leader Bill Shorten said at a press conference this afternoon that Tony Abbott's policies were causing tension with Indonesia.
"Our relationship with Indonesia is important. Clearly Abbott policies are causing real friction with Indonesia.

Australian Immigration Minister Scott Morrison speaks with Ben Fordham about the allegations of torture by Insurgents and THEIR ABC by the Royal Australian Navy

Australian Immigration Minister Scott Morrison slams THEIR ABC and SMH allegations of insurgent abuse against the Royal Australian Navy

THEIR ABC Caught out AGAIN!!!! Slandering Australia's Finest, we know who is paying them and its now official who it is they are working for, and it is not Australia.

Indonesia threatens Australia, and demands Australia stop defending its borders from Islamic Insurgents. Yeah I know that's not what they said but that's what they mean.

Back off, Jakarta tells Australia

Brendan Nicholson and Peter Alford
The Australian 
January 18, 2014 

INDONESIA has demanded Australia stop its border-protection operations and warned it will strengthen warship patrols of its maritime borders, after Australian patrol vessels breached Indonesian territorial waters.

Sky News, Community TV,ABC,SBS, wannabees,salivating over what they see as a diplomatic gaff by Australian Conservative (Liberal) PM Tony Abbott as in securing Australia's borders as promised in his pre election promise to do so in the September 7 2013 Federal Election.

Immigration Minister Scott Morrison confirmed the territorial waters breaches, revealed in The Australian yesterday, and Australia's unqualified apology but he refused to confirm the violations occurred as Operation Sovereign Borders vessels forced asylum-seeker boats back to Indonesia.

The turn-back operation apparently started in mid-December, in spite of Jakarta's hostility to the strategy. Reportedly five boatloads have since been forced to return, though Indonesia only officially confirms two and Canberra refuses to acknowledge any specific case.

A spokesman for Indonesia's senior security minister warned the new incidents threatened attempts to repair the bilateral relationship, following the November revelation that an Australian security agency had mounted a spying operation in 2009 against President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, his wife and their political confidants.

"If they entered Indonesian waters like that, this will only worsen the situation and the relationship between Indonesia and Australia," said Agus Barnas, spokesman for Djoko Suyanto, Coordination Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs.

Indonesia plans to boost its naval presence where the Australian incursions happened, with a third frigate set to join the southern patrol.

"The government of Indonesia has the legal right to protect and defend its sovereignty and territorial integrity in accordance with international laws and the UN Charter," it said.

In "condemning and rejecting" the 20km marine border violations yesterday, Mr Djoko and Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa explicitly linked the Australian border breaches and the turn-back operation.

"Indonesia demands that such operations conducted by the Australian government that leads to these incidents be suspended until formal clarification is received and guarantees such incidents will not recur," he said.

The statement, which does not acknowledge Australia's "unqualified apology" for the incursions, was released following meetings with Dr Yudhoyono yesterday morning and phone consultation with Dr Natalegawa, who is visiting Myanmar.

Mr Morrison said yesterday that Foreign Minister Julie Bishop had been unable to convey Australia's apology directly to her counterpart on Thursday night because he was travelling.

Mr Morrison yesterday blamed "positional errors" for the incursions which he said were accidental. "I unreservedly apologise to the government of Indonesia for this," Mr Morrison said.

The Weekend Australian understands there were five or six breaches of Indonesian waters involving two vessels from the Royal Australian Navy and one from the Australian Customs Service, all operating under the control of Border Protection Command.

An investigation into the extent of the incursions, which vessels were involved and why and when they entered Indonesian water has been launched by Australian Defence Force chief, David Hurley.

It is considered unlikely that the crews of the Australian vessels were unaware of their positions given the sophisticated navigation equipment aboard them.

It is possible that the Australian vessels may have continued to tow or to escort asylum-seeker vessels to get them closer to a landfall on Indonesia either to ensure they made it there safely or to stop them turning back towards Australia or Christmas Island.

Tony Abbott, Ms Bishop and Mr Morrison have repeatedly assured Indonesia their boats strategy did not involve Australian vessels entering Indonesian waters.

Bill Shorten accused Mr Morrison of blaming the sailors to cover up flaws in the government's policies.

Operation Sovereign Borders commander Angus Campbell said he was advised of the breach on Wednesday afternoon after a routine report was examined by a border command official.

He said navy personnel did not know they had breached Indonesian waters at the time.

"I'm determined such events won't occur again," Lieutenant General Campbell said.

Additional reporting: AAP

Operation Sovereign Borders: Royal Australian Navy accused of entering Indonesian waters in fight against Insurgents

Navy in breach of Jakarta's waters during Operation Sovereign Borders

Brendan Nicholson and Paul Maley 
The Australian
January 17,2014

Insurgents and their Labor Green Loon Progressive supporters (sponsors) whine they were tricked by Royal Australian Navy and repelled to base camp in Indonesia.

AN investigation by the Australian Defence Force has confirmed that at least one Royal Australian Navy vessel implementing the Coalition's border-protection policy has breached Indonesian territorial waters.

The Australian has also confirmed border-protection authorities have begun using lifeboats to return asylum-seekers to Indonesia, a method used for a boatload of people intercepted near Christmas Island last week.

During the past week the navy had been investigating allegations made by people-smugglers and asylum-seekers that Australian Border Protection Command vessels had breached Indonesia's 12-nautical mile limit while towing boats back from Australian waters.

They also claimed that crew members mistreated asylum-seekers by holding them against hot engine parts to inflict burns and by withholding food supplies.

All of these allegations were strongly rejected by Defence Force chief David Hurley, Immigration Minister Scott Morrison and the general in charge of Operation Sovereign Borders, Angus Campbell.

They said the Australian personnel conducted themselves professionally and responsibly.

The Australian has confirmed that the navy's examination of records and global positioning system data revealed yesterday that at least one vessel on border-protection duty under Operation Sovereign Borders entered Indonesian waters while returning an asylum-seeker boat.

While the Abbott government has thrown a cloak of secrecy over border-protection operations, two groups of asylum-seekers have claimed in interviews that they were on boats taken back to Indonesia by the navy.

They claimed that some who objected were handcuffed and otherwise restrained and ill-treated.

One boat was said to have been picked up near Darwin on January 1 and towed for five days before being cut loose near Rote Island. Another was said to have been towed back in December.

Naval crews have been caught between the need to avoid breaching Indonesian waters and ensuring that boats they are turning or towing back to that country arrive safely.

In Jakarta, a spokesman for Djoko Suyanto, the Co-ordinating Minister for Politics, Security and Law, said there had not been an Indonesian complaint about any breach of its territorial waters.

"We have no evidence" of a breach, the spokesman said.

He said the Co-ordinating Minister's office was aware of only two asylum-seeker boats turned back by the Australians, which landed on Rote Island on December 19 and January 6.

About 90 people from those boats were being transferred to immigration detention centres in Sumatra, Riau and 

Central Java, he said. Mr Djoko's office has been given top responsibility for handling the boatpeople dispute with Australia.

The Australian has been told a large lifeboat was used to ferry passengers of a boat en route to Christmas Island back to Indonesia. The boat was intercepted by border protection personnel after being observed by the crew of an RAAF Orion patrol aircraft.

It is unclear whether anyone went into the water at any point, but sources agree the asylum boat was disabled and that the Australian Navy was on the scene.

"The boat was sinking," one source said.

It is understood the boat was deliberately sabotaged by some of the passengers, rendering it unseaworthy.

Customs and Border Protection Command placed the asylum-seekers on a large lifeboat, deemed by the authorities to be a "safe platform", and returned it to Indonesia.

It is not clear whether the boat sailed to Indonesia under its own steam or whether it was escorted by Indonesian officials. Nor is it known how many asylum-seekers were on the boat, nor where the boat eventually landed.

Mr Morrison declined to comment on the incident.

"For operational security reasons, the government does not confirm or otherwise comment on reports of on-water activities in relation to Operation Sovereign Borders or disclose details of any operations," he said.

Mr Morrison also denied reports Customs and Border Protection personnel had fired warning shots into the air as they intercepted an asylum boat, which was reportedly then redirected by Australian authorities back to Indonesia.

"Without commenting on any specific alleged incident, I can confirm that no shots have been fired at any time by any persons involved in Operation Sovereign Borders since the operation commenced," Mr Morrison said.

Two days ago, Lieutenant-General Campbell confirmed the purchase of lifeboats, although he would not say what they would be used for. It was not clear whether the lifeboat used in the operation was one referred to by General Campbell or another craft.

Indonesia's Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa criticised the Abbott government's apparent intention to put asylum-seekers into lifeboats and escort them back to Indonesia as "a slippery slope".

Dr Natalegawa's comments suggest the Indonesians will take an even dimmer view of using lifeboats than they do of turning back fishing boats carrying asylum-seekers.

"It's one thing to turn back the actual boats on which (asylum-seekers) have been travelling but another issue when they have actually been transferred to another boat and actually been facilitated and actually told to go that direction," he told the ABC.

"To be zeroing in on issues ... in a manner that tends to divide is not helpful."

Last week's incident is the first known occasion when lifeboats were used to ferry asylum-seekers back into Indonesian waters.

Bill Shorten said he respected the work of ADF personnel but he attacked what he said was a government "culture of secrecy".

"I don't want to see Australian servicemen and servicewomen caught up as the meat in an Abbott-Morrison secrecy sandwich on our boats," the Opposition Leader said.

The government has offered Labor's immigration spokesman Richard Marles and Mr Shorten a full briefing on progress in Operation Sovereign Borders - an offer to be taken up when parliament resumes next month.

Additional reporting: Paige Taylor, Peter Alford

Insurgents and their Labor Green Loon Progressive supporters (sponsors) whine they were tricked by Royal Australian Navy and repelled to base camp in Indonesia.

Asylum seekers say they were tricked by navy

Michael Bachelard
SMH
January 17, 2014

Operation Sovereign Borders: Royal Australian Navy accused of entering Indonesian waters in fight against Insurgents

Australia has for the first time used one of its new lifeboats to send a group of 56 asylum seekers back to Indonesia in a move that is likely to plunge the bilateral relationship to a new low.

Fairfax Media has interviewed a large group of would-be refugees from Pakistan and Bangladesh who scuttled their wooden vessel six days ago in an attempt to avoid being pushed back to Indonesia.

Instead they were picked up by an Australian Navy vessel, HMAS Stuart, and kept overnight before being transferred to a Customs and Border Protection vessel.

The men said they were tricked into thinking they were going to be taken to Christmas Island. But they were put on a small, bright orange lifeboat-style vessel close to the Indonesian shore, with only enough fuel to return there.

The Indonesian man who captained their wooden asylum boat was put at the helm of the Australian lifeboat to complete the three-hour journey.

The news came as Fairfax Media confirmed that Australia escorted another boat back on December 26, bringing to five the total number of confirmed instances of turn-backs, despite Indonesia’s long-running objections to the practice.

Pakistani asylum seeker, Fazal Qadir, 28, said he had set sail from an island off Java on January 5 bound for Christmas Island with 56 people from Pakistan, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Iran, Iraq and Palestine on board, along with an Indonesian captain and one crew member. There was one woman with a 20-month-old toddler.

After about three or four days at sea, he said the group was spotted by an Australian aeroplane flying overhead. The boat was already leaking.

"We were very happy [when we saw them] because we thought when the boat went into the water, then they must receive us,” Mr Qadir said.


A sheet from a document given to them by Australian Customs.
All of the people on board already knew of other vessels which had been returned to Indonesia, so were determined to be rescued rather than escorted back. One passenger took a piece of wood and prised open the hole that was already in the hull. Others rocked the boat.

When it foundered, two Australian speedboats reached them and the 12 navy personnel on board told the asylum seekers to cling to the side. The toddler was provided with a life jacket, Mr Qadir said.

About 20 minutes later, two Australian Navy vessels, numbered 153 (HMAS Stuart) and 88 (HMAS Maitland) came into view.

Mr Qadir said the group was loaded onto the Stuart and they steamed towards Christmas Island. The men were told, and believed, they would be taken there. But the ship did not dock at the island. "We were going around Christmas all the time. For two days we were in the navy ship," Mr Qadir said.

The group was photographed and interviewed by navy personnel. They gave their names and were provided with white, numbered wrist bands.

On the second day they were transferred to a Customs and Border Protection boat that they could not identify. "We could see Christmas [Island]," the men said.

For three days they remained on the Customs boat.

During this time the men were desperate to call their families to tell them they were all right.

"We wanted to call our home because our families were scared their children were dead, but the navy and Customs would not give us a phone. They said we could call when we reached Christmas Island but they lied to us."

Finally, the men say, they were tricked once more. Mr Qadir said a small orange boat with a weather canopy was tied to the back of the Customs ship. They were told to board it because it would ferry them to Christmas Island.

At the last minute, though, a Customs officer came on board, tossed the asylum seekers a four-page document in a range of languages, and returned to the large ship, which sailed away.

The document, dated December 2013, reads: "You only have enough fuel to reach land in Indonesia. You do not have enough fuel to continue your voyage to Australia.

"The master of your vessel is now responsible for your safety. You must co-operate with the master and not act in a manner that risks your safety. You are responsible for your own actions. Your vessel is not equipped for a voyage to Australia. It is not safe to continue your voyage to Australia.

"If you continue on your journey, the master and crew of your boat will face harsh penalties, which may include a jail term."

The master was the Indonesian captain who had brought them from Java. They showed the compasses, GPS system and satellite phone that were provided with the orange boat.

The men said they were dropped very close to Indonesia. It took only three hours to reach shore.

They and the captain abandoned the Australian boat and walked into the jungle. They said they walked for five hours, including crossing a flood-swollen river, to find help.

They returned to their former houses in the West Java town of Cisarua late on Wednesday night.

On Wednesday Indonesian foreign minister Marty Natalegawa described the lifeboat option as "a slippery slope".

"It's one thing to turn back the actual boats on which they have been travelling but another issue, when they are transferred onto another boat and facilitated and told to go in that direction,'' he said.

Immigration Minister Scott Morrison declined to comment on the asylum seekers' treatment.

A statement from his office said: "For operational security reasons, the government does not confirm or otherwise comment on reports of on-water activities in relation to Operation Sovereign Borders or disclose details of any operations.''

Progressives outraged,Royal Australian Navy accused of shooting at Insurgents attempting to invade Australia.Correct Video added

HMAS Anzac Departs for the Middle East.

Australia's Finest doing their best

HMAS Anzac

HMAS Anzac is the first of her class and a modern warship, capable of operating in a multi-threat environment. Anzac's design is based on the German Meko 200 Class that uses modular construction methods. A feature of this method was the ability to share the construction of the 8 Australian and 2 New Zealand vessels throughout Australia and New Zealand.

Anzac is fitted with an advanced package of air surveillance radars; hull mounted sonar and electronic support systems that interface with state-of-the-art weapons systems. Anzac's armament comprises a five-inch (127-mm) gun, Harpoon missiles, Evolved Sea Sparrow Missiles and Ship Launched Torpedoes.

The ship can embark a multi-role Sikorsky S-70B-2 Seahawk helicopter to enhance anti-submarine, anti-surface warfare and Search and Rescue capabilities. Embarkation of a helicopter also provides the ship with the capability to deliver air-launched torpedoes.

Anzac is the third Royal Australian Navy ship to carry the name of an Australian legend. Named after the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps during the First World War, the ANZAC's landed on the Gallipoli Peninsula as part of a larger Allied Force on the 25th of April 1915, meeting fierce resistance from the Turkish defenders. The campaign dragged on for a further eight months of hellish trench warfare, giving berth to a legend of endurance, selflessness, dedication to duty and mateship in the most demanding of environments. It is a shared memory of common sacrifice for the nations involved, regardless of nationality or religion, providing an enduring example for the men and women of the Australian Defence Force and Australian's as a whole. ANZAC Day is annually commemorated in Australia on the 25th of April. As such, Anzac proudly bears her name underpinned by the motto - "United We Stand".

In maintaining a close link with the rich traditions of the ANZAC spirit, during the Northern Trident 05 deployment, HMAS Anzac visited ANZAC Cove, Gallipoli for the 90th Anniversary of the landings. In company with warships of Britain, France and Turkey, Anzac provided a stunning backdrop to the official dawn service ceremony whilst some members of her crew participated in the services ashore. Anzac has been granted freedom of entry to the City of Albany, Western Australia, the departure port for the ANZAC's of old and also has a close association with the City of Rockingham. The Warnbro High School, near her homeport, has established the HMAS Anzac Learning Centre that promotes the education of our Navy and the history of Australia 's most costly war.

Other notable events Anzac participated in have included deployments to the Arabian Gulf, culminating in Naval Gunfire Support of British Royal Marines landings on Al Faw Peninsula, Iraq in 2003. During Northern Trident, Anzac celebrated the 200th Anniversary of the Battle of Trafalgar in the UK as part of the International Fleet Review. Anzac has also successfully contributed to Fisheries Protection, Border Protection and Maritime Rescue Operations through her over ten years in service.

Rudd's Australia: More illegals arrive at Barrow Island

More asylum seekers intercepted off WA coast

By Allison Rehn
The Daily Telegraph
April 22, 2009 02:30pm

ANOTHER boatload of asylum seekers has been intercepted off the West Australian coast.

The Federal Government has just confirmed the Royal Australian Navy patrol boat HMAS Wollongong made the interception approximately 47 nautical miles from south-west of Barrow Island.

Border Protection Command aircraft first spotted the vessel, which then alerted the HMAS Wollongong.

Minister for Home Affairs Bob Debus said initial indications are that there are 32 people on board, all adult males.

Mr Debus said the successful interception demonstrated the effectiveness of Border Protection Command's targeted surveillance.

"Officers from Customs and Border Protection and the Royal Australian Navy continue to work together to protect Australia's maritime domain from unauthorised arrivals," Mr Debus said.

"The Australian Government is committed to strong border security arrangements to deal effectively and appropriately with people smugglers."

The group will be transferred to HMAS Wollongong and then taken to Christmas Island where they will undergo health, security and other checks to establish their identity and reasons for their voyage.

It is the seventh boat of asylum seekers to arrive in Australian waters this year.

More Rudd government supporters and future social security recipients from the middle east land on Australian soil.
The eighth boat so far this year, Rudd's answer is to pay Indonesia and extra $40million on top of the half billion we pay them already.
Why are these illegals coming back since the Howard governments illegal entrant policies were abandoned by Australia's Dear Leader, Comrade Rudd?

Well according to the Indonesians this is why.....

Refugees 'reacted to law change': Indonesia

Paul Maley
The Australian
April 22, 2009

INDONESIA experienced an increase in the number of suspected refugees transiting through its borders at the same time Australia was softening its border protection policies.

Indonesia's ambassador to Australia, Primo Alui Joelianto, said Indonesian-based people-smugglers had exploited changes to Australian law as a way of drumming up business.

And as the political row over the surge in boat arrivals deepened - with Kevin Rudd branding Malcolm Turnbull "opportunistic" over his handling of the issue - senior government sources told The Australian another boat was due to be intercepted "within days". They are likely to join asylum seekers, who landed earlier this month, on Christmas Island.

Yesterday, Mr Joelianto said Indonesia had seen a spike in suspected refugees transiting the sprawling archipelago.

Significantly, Mr Joelianto dated the start of the increase at September last year, the same time the Rudd Government announced a series of policy changes aimed at softening Australia's treatment of refugees. But at the same time, the ambassador acknowledged Labor's claim about the causes of the surge, saying violence abroad and the scourge of people-smuggling were at the root of the problem.

Speaking to The Australian, Mr Joelianto said the problem of irregular migration was too big for Indonesia to handle alone.

When asked if more suspected refugees had been coming into Indonesia, heading for the main transit points for people journeying to Australia, Mr Joelianto replied: "We noted, especially after September 2008, the influx, the flow of illegal migrants get more and more," he said. "But I think we have to see the root cause - conflict, the political instability, economic problems in the origin country; that's why this problem is not easy to tackle."

But Mr Joelianto suggested people-smugglers were also using the policy changes as a way of drumming up business.

"I think maybe the traffickers use this as a trial to organise more of flowing of the refugees, because they get the money for that," Mr Joelianto said.

"So maybe they use this new policy, but I don't know exactly."

Mr Joelianto's assessment echoed that of Immigration Minister Chris Evans, who said the smugglers had used changes to Australian law as a "marketing tool".

Indonesian lawmakers planned to pass legislation outlawing people-smuggling, a high priority for the Australian Government, Mr Joelianto said.

His assurance came as Mr Rudd announced Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono had signed the extradition to Australia of Iraqi-Iranian citizen Hadi Ahmadi.

Mr Rudd said Mr Ahmadi was suspected of organising the passage of four boats carrying more than 900 "unlawful non-citizens" to Australia.

Yesterday, Mr Ahmadi's lawyer, Joel Tannos, said Australia now had a month to organise the extradition.

"If it's not done within that time, the presidential decree lapses. So the time it's done is up to Australia," Mr Tannos said.

Presidential legal adviser Denny Indrayana said he expected the extradition to be acted on quickly.

"The two countries will follow up and accelerate the bureaucratic process on this," Dr Indrayana said.

The development came as police in the Northern Territory began interviewing survivors of last Thursday's boat blast that killed five asylum seekers and seriously injured dozens more.

When asked if a return the Pacific Solution of offshore processing would assist Jakarta's management of the problem, Mr Joelianto said the fight against smugglers was the key.

Additional reporting: Stephen Fitzpatrick