SYDNEY, July 5 (Reuters) – An Australian navy vessel was
headed towards a suspected asylum seeker boat in distress south
of Indonesia on Friday, just as the leaders of the two countries
met to discuss refugees, one of the key issues in Australia’s
upcoming general election.
The boat, around 42 nautical miles south of Java, had
requested assistance and been spotted by a customs surveillance
aircraft, Australian Customers and Border Protection said.
One navy vessel and two merchant ships were heading to the
scene, a spokesman said, adding that the boat was still making
its way south.
“It’s reported that there are 80 people on board,” a
spokeswoman for the Australian Maritime Safety Authority told
the Australian Associated Press. “We believe they are taking on
water.”
Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd is visiting Indonesia
on his first overseas trip since being reinstalled to address
sensitive bilateral issues including asylum seekers with
Indonesia President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono.
Refugees seeking asylum in Australia often set sail from
Indonesia or Sri Lanka, heading for Australia’s Indian Ocean
territory of Christmas Island in dangerous and overcrowded
boats, with the help of people smugglers.
Rudd is seeking to defuse voter unease ahead of elections
scheduled for September and is expected to take a tougher line
on refugees than his predecessor, Julia Gillard.
Rudd replaced Gillard as prime minister in a Labor party
vote last month after successive polls predicting a Labor
government washout at the election.
(Editing by Nick Macfie)
