asylum seekers shot in indonesia

This should warm the cockles of the xenophobic posters here and also two more boats detained...

ABC Online...
Police in southern Indonesia say two Afghans have been shot and wounded when they tried to escape after their boat was intercepted in transit to Australia.

Officials say the boat was carrying 61 Afghans.

A senior police official says the injured men are receiving treatment, while the others are being questioned.

Three Indonesians have been detained on charges of people-smuggling.

Federal Finance Minister Lindsay Tanner told Channel Ten says it is regrettable if anybody was injured.

"Obviously it's regrettable if anybody's been injured in any kind of situation like this, but we don't want to cast aspersions about anybody's involvement in these kinds of situations without knowing what's actually happened," he said.

He says he expects the Government will seek further information about the incident.

"Because we are in very regular communication with the Indonesian authorities on a range of issues associated with border security I would expect that this is just one of the ordinary matters we would be seeking information about."

Earlier, a boat containing 47 asylum seekers was intercepted in the Timor Sea.

The vessel was detected by an RAAF plane and later intercepted by HMAS Broome, near the Ashmore Islands.

The group will undergo security, identity and health checks upon arrival at Christmas Island.

Dave R.