Poor Indonesians scapegoated in people-smuggling trial

Wednesday, October 2, 2002 - 10:00

BY SARAH STEPHEN

A Perth District Court judge on September 27 sentenced two Indonesian fisherpeople to jail for their role in transporting 438 asylum seekers to Australia in August last year. The people responsible for organising the journey and pocketing the bulk of the money paid by the passengers remain unidentified.

Bastian Disun was sentenced to seven years' jail and Norbames Nurdin to four years under Australia's harsh new laws against "people smuggling". Judge Alan Fenbury said it was important to jail the men to deter other people smugglers. Two other crew members, Aldo Benjamin and Aksal Junus, were acquitted by the jury.

The men crewed the KM Palapa 1 which broke down just one day into the voyage. They were rescued by the Norwegian container ship, the MV Tampa, three days later.

The court was told that boat captain Disun was duped into believing he would be taking only 260 passengers to Christmas Island. Disun was paid $300 before leaving Jakarta on August 23, with a promise that the balance would be paid to his family.

A statement by Disun was read to the court. He appealed to the Australian authorities to stop people smugglers who exploit desperately poor Indonesian fisherpeople like himself. Disun, who earns a maximum of 700,000 rupiah (A$140) a month, said he was willing to risk eight weeks in custody for the sake of a comparative fortune — Rp10 million ($2000) — because his wife was eight months' pregnant.

A number of asylum seekers who were aboard the Palapa were brought from Nauru to Perth to testify. A 21-year-old Afghan, whose name was suppressed, said he cooperated with police because he wanted to prevent the people smugglers from ruining any more lives. However, he was unhappy that his evidence was used against the Indonesian crew. He said he had offered to reveal to the police the location and identity of the real people smugglers in Indonesia, but his offer was not taken up.

From Green Left Weekly, October 2, 2002.

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