'Australia not responsible' says Immigration minister

Geoff Thompson, Tanjung Pinang

Last Updated: Fri, 20 Nov 2009 23:17:00 +1100

The Australian Home Affairs Minister Brendan O'Connor says Australia is not responsible for the way in which women and children from an Australian customs ship are detained in Indonesia.

The Federal Government has previously said there would be special arrangements put in place for the women and children.

Mr O'Connor says while that has happened, it's ultimately Indonesia's responsibility.

"This is in Indonesia, the Indonesian authorities determine these matters but clearly it was important to ensure that women and children are in a separate area and that's occurred," he said.

'In jail'

Meanwhile, the women from the Oceanic Viking detained along with their children on the Indonesian island of Bintan have described their situation as being "in jail".

The Sri Lankan women spoke to a journalist through the bars of the Australian-funded detention centre in Tanjung Pinang on Bintan Island.

The women say they are sad, and want to go to Australia.

Holding their young children up to the bars of the facility, called a temporary holding room, the women say the room is locked and they are unable to come and go as they please.

Their statements contradict claims made by Australian officials.

The holding room has also been referred to as a quarantine area, and while built in the same style as the detention centre next door, it's outside its razor wire perimeter.

Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd said special arrangements would be made for the five women and five children who left the Oceanic Viking on Wednesday after nearly four weeks aboard the ship.

'Confusion'

Meanwhile, the Australian Opposition says there's chaos and confusion over the conditions for the women and children asylum seekers who've left the Oceanic Viking.

The Opposition's Immigration spokeswoman Sharman Stone says the government indicated the women and children would be given freedom to come and go.

"Now we've got the confusion over whether women and children are supposed to be able to move freely and housed in a separate facility to the detention centre," she said.

"But it seems no, it's a room attached to the detention centre. I'm afraid the chaos seems to continue. We don't seem to have a straight answer coming from anywhere. "