ABC AUSTRALIA, April 13, 2006. 8:33am (AEST)
Asylum changes pander to Indonesia: Fraser
By Emma Rodgers
Former Liberal prime minister Malcolm Fraser has accused the Federal Government
of changing its policy on processing asylum seekers to suit Indonesia.
Treasurer Peter Costello has signalled the Government is considering sending all
asylum seekers who arrive in Australia to offshore processing centres as the
Government tries to improve relations with Indonesia.
Last month Indonesia reacted angrily to Australia's decision to grant temporary
protection visas to 42 Papuan asylum seekers who landed on Cape York.
Mr Costello says Australia's decision to excise areas from the migration zone in 2001
was very successful in dealing with people smugglers, and could be extended.
"But you would have them assessed in a third country and if you were a refugee you
would then be admitted, rather than being admitted and then asking questions
afterwards," he said.
"This is one of the things that the Government will look at in relation to dealing with
these claims it has proved successful in the past and there is a lot to be said for it in
the future."
But Mr Fraser has told ABC NewsRadio that while the bilateral relationship is
important, the Australia's attitudes and principles should not be put aside for the
requests of Indonesia.
"We lose our sense of decency if we allow another country or relations with another
country to determine policies which would be totally against our normal basic decent
instincts," he said.
"The Government is really behaving as though certain people are outside the law, do
not deserve the benefit of any humane or compassionate treatment.
"It's really suggesting that they're prepared to sacrifice any individual or group of
individuals to suit Indonesian policy."
'Worst instincts'
Under the Cabinet's changes, an applicant's claim for asylum be treated the same as
others in overseas UN camps and review processes under Australian law would not
apply.
Mr Fraser says while the policy changes might be in step with the mood of the public,
it is critical the Government should lead and not follow in certain decisions.
"If they are to follow then it will be a question of pandering to the worst instincts of
Australians rather than encouraging the best instincts of Australians," he said.
"At the beginning of the great migration in the 1950s and 60s, if you'd asked the
people of Melbourne, did they want to become the biggest Greek city outside the city
of Greece, I believe you'd have had 80 or 90 per cent voting no.
"Now that it's happened I believe you'd have 95 per cent saying it's been a wonderful
thing for Melbourne."
Mr Fraser has also called for United Nations observers to be placed in Papua.
"That would give some solid evidence and perhaps act as some restraint on elements
of the Army that might not be under close as discipline as they should be and that
sort of principle has applied in other places at other times," he said.
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