Australia charges Indonesians with people smuggling

[Coventina]

Source: Reuters

SYDNEY (Reuters) - Two Indonesian men faced an Australian court on Friday charged with people smuggling, while criticism of the government's softer asylum policy continued, leading to the release of photographs of an asylum boat rescue.

The Australian government hopes if the Indonesians are convicted it would deter future asylum seekers. But since stiffening penalties for people smuggling in 1999, only a handful of Indonesians have been jailed, and boats continue to arrive.

The Indonesians, aged 32 and 40, appeared briefly in the Perth Magistrates Court in Western Australia to face charges of smuggling 59 and 38 asylum seekers, respectively, in early April, said a police spokeswoman.

(snip)

Prime Minister Kevin Rudd's government has for the past week defended its softer asylum policy, which no longer includes mandatory detention for boatpeople, after an explosion on a boat on April 16 killed five people and injured more than 30.



Read more: http://in.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idINIndia-39224920090424

[Johnyawl]

1. look for another conservative gov't soon in Auz

The left - world wide - needs to understand that this issue is gonna kill them at the polls.