Asia in three minutes: North Korean diplomat defects; Australia to close island detention centre
Your weekly roundup of what’s happened in this week in Asia
Australia to close Manus Island immigrant detention centre
The Australian government announced it would close its detention centre for asylum seekers on Manus Island, Papua New Guinea, in accordance with a ruling from a PNG court in April. Conservative Australian governments have for almost 20 years defended hardline policies on illegal immigration, including “offshore processing”, arguing the end justifies the means as it discourages people smugglers. So when refugee advocates greeted the decision to close the facility by calling for the refugees to be resettled in Australia, it came as little surprise that the government insisted that would not happen.
What next?
The focus will intensify on Australia’s other Pacific detention facility, on Nauru, which has become a lightning rod for criticism after leaked documents catalogued the widespread abuse and mistreatment of detainees. Rights groups have condemned the Australian government for this ‘outsourcing’ and may interpret the closure of the Manus Island camp as a defining moment.
Indonesia changes sea’s name in attempt to maintain sovereignty amid dispute
Indonesia has adopted a novel approach the preserving its sovereignty in the South China Sea, announcing a plan to change the name of part of its territory. Under the plan, the area within 200 miles of its Natuna Islands would become the Natuna Sea. The announcement coincided with Indonesia’s Independence Day, which Jakarta celebrated by scuttling 60 illegal fishing vessels, mostly in the Natuna region, which China often claims as traditional fishing grounds. So while Indonesia’s vigilance over the Natuna Islands is ostensibly about cracking down on illegal fishing, it’s hard to ignore broader implications in the labyrinthine dispute over the South China Sea, parts of which Indonesia claims, along with other countries.