Police fired a warning shot into the air after a group of Sri Lankan women who have been stranded off the coast of Aceh since June 11 disembarked from their boat in defiance of orders from Indonesian authorities.
An eyewitness told Fairfax Media the five women, who are among 44 Sri Lankans who claimed they were en route to Australia when they suffered engine trouble, had earlier pleaded that a child they said was sick be allowed to come to shore.
Indonesian authorities have refused to allow the Sri Lankans, who are believed to be Tamils, to disembark in Indonesia because they do not have passports or travel documents.
This is despite Amnesty International and the Geutanyoe Foundation for Aceh urging the Indonesian government to allow the Sri Lankans to disembark and meet with UN refugee agency officials.
Ahmad Samadan, the head of immigration in Aceh, told Fairfax Media the boat of Sri Lankans would be towed off the beach and then escorted out of Indonesian waters when the weather calmed down.
"Once they leave Indonesian waters it's up to them where they go next," he said.
"We have not determined the status of the people on board. They are just illegally in Indonesia because they don't have travel documents."
The international director of the Geutanyoe Foundation, Lilianne Fan, told Fairfax Media the Sri Lankans had indicated to local journalists that they had left Jaffna, the capital city of the northern province of Sri Lanka, on May 2.
"If they are from Jaffna, this would indicate they could be genuine asylum seekers who are fleeing a worrying deterioration in the security situation," Ms Fan said.
"Over the last few months there has reportedly been a military crackdown in Jaffna on former Tamil Tigers."
Fairfax Media understands the women who jumped off the boat sat on the beach and mimed shooting themselves in the temple.
In chaotic scenes local police tried to cordon off the beach and persuade the remaining Sri Lankans to stay on the boat.
Fairfax Media understands the five women, who suffered mild injuries jumping on shore, have now returned to the boat where they - and the sick child - are being treated by Indonesian health officers.
Sabang navy commander Kiki said engineers had been sent to examine the engine on the Sri Lankan boat, which had been overheating because it was low on lubricant.
"No part replacements were needed, it just needed some fixing," Kiki said.
He said the navy ship was on standby in Sabang and would take about five hours to reach Lhoknga, in the district of Aceh Besar, where the boat was stranded.
"The weather is also a factor when they can be escorted out. Since yesterday there have been high waves," he said.
Amnesty International said the boat began a hazardous journey from India after those on board reportedly fled Sri Lanka. The human rights organisation said despite many recent improvements, there were still concerns about discriminatory practices against Tamils by law enforcement officials.
Fan said the Lhoknga beach near the ship had now been closed off to the local community. However she said a bus parked nearby may be a sign that the Sri Lankans may finally be allowed to disembark from the boat.
"The most urgent thing right now besides their physical and mental needs is to get them unhindered access to the UNHCR and that just doesn't seem to be happening," Ms Fan said.
The International Organisation for Migration has indicated it is ready to assist with services if asked to do so.
Indonesia is not a signatory to the UN refugee convention and refugees cannot legally work there while waiting for resettlement in a third country.
There are 13 immigration detention centres in Indonesia, most of which are overcrowded.
As of January there were 13,679 refugees and asylum seekers registered with the UNHCR in Indonesia, many of whom have been stuck in transit for years.
(WA Today)
