indonesia upset with australia

ABC Online;
Indonesia says it deeply regrets the Australian Government's failure to pass new asylum seeker laws.

Earlier today Prime Minister John Howard announced that the Federal Government would not be proceeding with its controversial Bill, which would have seen all asylum seekers that arrived by boat processed offshore.

Indonesia's Foreign Ministry spokesman Desra Percaya says the Indonesian Government has not yet received official communication from Australia.

But he says Indonesia deeply regrets the Government's failure to legislate the policy, which was introduced earlier this year.

Mr Percaya says it is Australia's domestic problem to be sorted out.

But he warns that Australia's failure to endorse the legislation could be interpreted as Australia opening the door to asylum seekers.

He says these could include illegal immigrants who have been in Indonesia for many years and may seek asylum in Australia.

Referring to Papua, Mr Percaya says Indonesia expects Australia to continue to uphold its spoken and written commitment to respect the territorial integrity of Indonesia.

Meanwhile, opponents of the migration Bill say the Federal Government's mistake was to try to accommodate Indonesia.

Labor's Tony Burke says the Bill was "never about border protection, it was about appeasing Indonesia in the most callous way."

Greens Senator Bob Brown says it brings the Prime Minister's political judgement into question.

"Because he was unwise enough to be seen to appeasing Jakarta - that was the real deathknell in this reversal of his fortunes," Mr Brown said.

Family First Senator Steve Fielding says the Bill was not necessary because Australia "has strong border protection."

It is the highest profile loss for the Federal Government since it won control of the Senate.

Dave R.