Slippin "Unfortunately, corruption is the national pastime of Indonesiam authorities and Australian governments of ALL persuasions seem unable or unwilling to deal effectively with these people.
Why is that???"
You phrased much better than I did.
It seems 3 decades of Suharto corruption and political suppression has put it in a rut it's having trouble getting out of. Maybe it should've stayed in Dutch hands.
I'm surprised we don't have any Indonesian asylum seekers. It's seems Indonesia is a stepping stone to Australia for other nations seeking alleged asylum.
Without sounding heartless, ten years about 900 lives have been lost enroute to Australia. That's no 'a bad' ratio considering the treacharous sea conditions and the leaky rotten boats used. Maybe each person should insist on a life jacket for their $6k, or bring their own. It won't stop them but maybe the more misfortune the trips encounter, the more likely they are to choose another avenue. Obviously they won't get a visa, flyover, over stay and then claim asylum. It's not as 'convincing and dramatic' as coming by boat, which is their choice. They get to Jakarta by plane and then transfer to a boat.
