ENGLISH DEYEA NEWS

by Solomon | New Delhi (Mizzima) - The United Nations Refugee agency (UNHCR) said it has requested permission from the Indonesian government to provide protection to 193 Burmese and Bangladeshis stranded off Sabang Island near Aceh province, in January.

Anita Restu, spokesperson of UNHCR in Jakarta, told Mizzima that they have requested the government of Indonesia at least twice - on January 14 and 21 - but so far received no response.

"The UNHCR wants to handle these people. We have already sent letters to foreign affairs twice," said Restu. "But till now we haven't received a response to our request."

Restu said, the UN Refugee Agency has no jurisdiction over the Sabang Island and requires permission from the authorities to go to the Island.

Nearly 200 boatpeople from Burma and Bangladesh were rescued off the Sabang Island in northern Aceh on January 7, by local authorities. They were taken into custody for investigation into their identities.

Teuku Faizasyah, spokesman of the Indonesian Foreign Ministry told Mizzima, they are still discussing the issue of the boatpeople and that the immigration department will take the responsibility.

"The way we see them, they look like having economic motives and there are some kind of arrangement on what to do with them," said Faizasyah.

He said an inter-ministerial meeting over the issue has already been convened at the end of last week and a recommendation was submitted but so far it has not been decided to deport them.

"If we get permission we plan to carry out an assessment and see whether they need international protection under the mandate of the UNHCR," Restu said.

"We have to make an assessment first, but we cannot do anything now, UNHCR cannot directly involve itself without the permission of the government," Restu added.

According to Restu, there are two Burmese refugees in Jakarta under the protection of the UNHCR office along with some 350 refugees from other countries and 14 asylum seekers.

The Burmese refugees are due for resettlement under the refugee agency's third country resettlement programme, Restu said.