Illegal imigrant from Sri Lanka in Tanjungpinang, Kepulauan Riau.
Tanjungpinang, Riau Islands (ANTARA News) - After stubbornly refusing to disembark from the MV Alicia since July 10, 2011, 84 illegal Sri Lankan immigrants on Friday finally agreed to leave their boat due to starvation.
They surrendered to the Tanjungpinang Immigration Office which immediately sent them to its Detention Center (Rudenim), the center`s chief, Sugiyo, said here on Friday.
Initially, there were 87 Sri Lankan immigrants aboard the boat, but a baby was born recently, and four of the immigrants were still being treated in a hospital in Tanjungpinang.
At first, 13 of them disembarked from the boat on Thursday (Aug 25) and went to the cener. The next day (Friday, Aug 25), the remaining 71 people followed and now all of them were at the Rudenim.
"We are now checking the newly disembarked Sri Lankan immigrants," he said.
However, Sugiyo refused to comment on a report that the immigrants were forced to leave the boat because they were hungry.
Last July 2011, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) representative in Indonesia had asked the 87 Sri Lankan immigrants to disembark from their boat, the MV Alicia, for registration and verification.
"They must get off the boat for registration and verification whether they are refugees or not," Manuel Jordao, the UNHCR Representative in Indonesia, said after holding a meeting with representatives of the Sri Lankan foreign ministry and immigration office at the Sri Bintan Pura international seaport, Tanjungpinang, Riau Islands, last July.
A Sri Lankan immigrant who jumped off the MV Alicia on Wednesday (Aug 24) said there was not enough food and drinking water on the boat.
"There is no more sugar, fish, meat and salt in the boat, only rice," Prem Kumar, the immigrant, said.
He said the 87 Sri Lankan immigrants aboard the MV Alicia were in "very bad" condition because they did not have enough food and drinking water.
They could each have only one small bottle of mineral water per one person for two days. "We are thirsty," Prem Kumar said.
Prem Kumar and four other immigrants, namely Tharma Palan, Syakaran, Kajan and Theepan had jumped off the MV Alicia on Wednesday (Aug 24) at 3.30 am local time.
Some 87 Sri Lankan immigrants wanting to ask for asylum in New Zealand or Canada, had been staying aboard the MV Alicia in Tanjungpinang waters since July 10, 2011, after they were arrested in Riau Strait waters, Batam. They had previously refused to leave the boat before their demand was met.
