Australia navy captains disciplined

Written By Unknown on Kamis, 17 April 2014 | 19.15

17 April 2014 Last updated at 10:35

An Australian navy captain has been removed from his command for violating Indonesia's territorial waters.

Another commanding officer had been "administratively sanctioned" and five more would be given counselling, a defence department statement said.

The incursions took place as the navy took part in border operations under a policy aimed at preventing asylum seekers reaching Australian shores.

Australia has apologised, saying the incursions took place "inadvertently".

"The Chief of Navy accepts that none of the commanding officers involved deliberately contravened orders not to enter Indonesian territorial waters," a statement said.

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  • Asylum-seekers - mainly from Afghanistan, Sri Lanka, Iraq and Iran - travel to Australia's Christmas Island on rickety boats from Indonesia
  • The number of boats rose sharply in 2012 and the beginning of 2013, and dozens of people have died making the journey
  • The Labor government reintroduced offshore processing in Nauru and Papua New Guinea - conditions in its detention camps there have been condemned by UN agencies and rights groups
  • The Tony Abbott-led Liberal-National coalition government, elected in September 2013, introduced "Operation Sovereign Borders", putting the military in control of asylum operations
  • In January reports emerged of Australian navy vessels turning asylum boats back to Indonesia - the UN refugee agency says such tow-backs may breach international law
  • In January, Australia apologised for multiple violations of Indonesia's territorial waters by navy vessels on asylum operations
  • Relatively small numbers of asylum seekers are involved: UNHCR's Asylum Trends 2012 report said Australia received only 3% of global asylum applications in 2012

"Notwithstanding, there were, in the Chief of Navy's view, lapses in professional conduct that required action to be taken."

In each case, there had been a "clear operational direction not to proceed within 12 nautical miles from the Indonesian archipelagic baseline".

The positioning of each ship was considered and each commanding officer's perspective was heard, the statement said.

The government has not revealed details of the incidents, but they are believed to have taken place as navy vessels forced Australia-bound boats carrying asylum seekers back to Indonesia, under a new policy called Operation Sovereign Borders.

Indonesia has described the policy as unhelpful and the issue has strained ties between the two economic allies.

Indonesia serves as a transit point for people smugglers, who ferry asylum seekers to Christmas Island, the closest part of Australian territory, on rickety and over-crowded boats. Many people have died making the journey.

The Australian government says its tough new policy is successfully deterring asylum boats, with no new arrivals since December.

Rights groups have accused Australia of shirking its international obligations, however.

Its asylum policy is also in the spotlight after a young Iranian man died in violence at an Australian immigration detention centre in Papua New Guinea in February.

Several inquiries into who caused the young man's death are under way.


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