Transcript E&OE
12 November, 2009
Doorstop interview - Singapore
Subjects: Sri Lanka, the Oceanic Viking, China, Burma APEC, Doha Round.
STEPHEN SMITH: Thanks very much for turning up. Today is of course the second day of Trade Ministers and Foreign Ministers meeting in APEC, and Finance Ministers meet today as well, and of course the Treasurer, Mr Swan is attending those meetings.
This of course is the 20th anniversary of the formation of APEC. APEC is the premier economic institution in the Asia Pacific. Australia is very proud of its history and being a founding member and taking APEC to the premier position that it's in today.
And both Trade Ministers and Finance Ministers are discussing further economic integration, further trade liberalisation, but also using APEC as a venue or a forum to consolidate discussion about G-20 international financial matters.
So far as Foreign Ministers are concerned, we've of course been having our own conversations about these matters but also discussing what we describe as the regional architecture.
This is the century of the Asia Pacific with economic, political, strategic influence moving to our part of the world. And that's as a result of the ongoing importance of the United States, the rise of China, the rise of India, the rise of the ASEAN economies combined. And so are the institutions we have for our region suitable for that purpose.
There's been a good discussion about the Prime Minister's Asia Pacific community initiative. We've also had discussion about Japanese Prime Minister Hatoyama's suggestion for an East Asia community. But we are now seeing, I think, a good discussion about where the future institutions in our region should end up. That will of course take time. When we launched our Asia Pacific community initiative we spoke in terms of a timetable 2020 or 2025.
I think it's also the case that the consolidation of the G-20 as the premier international institution dealing with financial matters has also caused us to have a discussion about that interrelationship. We of course have got over 20 economies in APEC, nearly half of APEC's members are in the G-20, nine of them including Australia and Indonesia, China, Japan, Korea, United States, and the like.
So we're having these discussions, it's a good thing and it augers well for the future of APEC, but augers well for Australia's role in the most significant economic international institution that we find in our region.
I'm happy to respond to that or other issues of the day.
QUESTION: How confident are you that the asylum seekers on board the Oceanic Viking will take up your latest offer?
STEPHEN SMITH: We continue to be in conversation with them - the people on the boat - through our officials. We also continue to be in conversation with Indonesian officials, and we continue to work patiently towards our objective which is to see the people on the boat peacefully and calmly and cooperatively come off the boat to enable processing to occur by the UNHCR, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees.
I've had discussions here with my Indonesian counterpart, Marty Natalegawa. I may well speak to him again later today. But the important discussions continue on the boat and we, as the Prime Minister has said, as I have said, as Immigration Minister Chris Evans has said, we remain patient and we're working methodically at it.
QUESTION: Given that most of the asylum seekers appear likely to end up in Australia, wouldn't it have been easier to draw a line under this earlier and simply bring them to Australia in the first place?
STEPHEN SMITH: I wouldn't just leap to that assumption. Let's go back to the start of this matter which was a search and rescue operation at Indonesia's request in Indonesia's search and rescue territory.
Indonesia wasn't in a position to assist, they asked us to assist, we did, as we should have and as we would do again. And, as a result of discussions between Australian and Indonesian officials in the search and rescue area, and as a result of discussions subsequent between the Prime Minister and President Yudhoyono, it was agreed that they be taken to Indonesia, and we want to complete the search and rescue task. That's the first thing.
It's also clear that the people on board the boat who are from Sri Lanka want to claim asylum. Some of them have already been, on my advice, already been assessed by the UNHCR as mandated refugees, and others remain to fall for consideration by the UNHCR in Indonesia.
Australia and Indonesia and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and other countries - New Zealand, Canada, United States, some European countries - for some time, for a number of years have been part of a resettlement program so far as refugees in Indonesia are concerned.
So, looking down the track, if these people on the boat who have, either already been accorded refugee status, or others who are accorded refugee status, they will be resettled in accordance with that agreement.
As Senator Evans has made clear, if you look at the statistics over the years Australia has taken many of those, if not the majority, and we expect that that will continue. But they will be resettled in accordance with those understandings with the UNHCR.
It was not appropriate, as a result of a search and rescue operation in Indonesian territorial waters, to take the people to Christmas Island. That's why we agreed with Indonesia to go to Indonesia, and we are working calmly and patiently and systematically to finish the search and rescue operation.
QUESTION: How long will the Oceanic Viking be allowed to stay in Indonesian waters beyond this Friday?
STEPHEN SMITH: I've made the point often in recent times that the basis of the agreement between Australia and Indonesia is as expressed by Foreign Minister Natalegawa and by me a couple of weeks ago.
Indonesia has an abundance of patience in this matter, as does Australia.
There is a requirement on a regular basis for the Oceanic Viking to obtain diplomatic clearance. We have regarded that, and it is being treated as, effectively an administrative matter. It's rolled over on a regular basis. It will be rolled over again at the end of this week. So I've seen some people seek to suggest that somehow it's a timetable or a deadline or an issue. It's not. That will be done in a normal, routine, regular way and Foreign Minister Natalegawa and I are proceeding on the basis that we will be there for as long as it takes to achieve the object, which is to persuade the people on the boat to come off the boat, cooperatively, and in a civilised and dignified and peaceful way.
QUESTION: And where are you at in terms of establishing a wider framework with Indonesia?
STEPHEN SMITH: Those discussions have been ongoing. It's a good question, because it is important to make the point that whilst we have the particular special, if not unique, circumstances of the Oceanic Viking, we continue to work with Indonesia on our general cooperation so far as combating people smuggling is concerned.
That occurs under the overall framework of the Bali Process. But our officials have been discussing additional framework structures under the Bali Process. I said to the Parliament, the last week that the Parliament met, that we were hopeful that officials would be in a position to report progress on the work on the framework to Prime Minister Rudd and President Yudhoyono when they met in the margins of APEC. We expect that that will occur in the course of this weekend, but I also expect that that will be a progress report not a finalised document, or a finalised framework.
But they have been - our officials and Indonesian officials - have been making progress. And we will, in due course, conclude that framework agreement under the Bali Process which will further reinforce the continuing good cooperation between Australia and Indonesia on these matters, and that is done, effectively, through the Bali Process which Australia and Indonesia co-chair.
QUESTION: Minister, can I just ask about APEC and WTO and the Doha talks. There a lot of scepticism about any conclusion being reached on the Doha Round. Do you share that scepticism, and if that's the case what does this mean for APEC's own free trade agreement, the FTAAP?
STEPHEN SMITH: I don't share the scepticism of the Doha Round. Australia very strongly believes, and Simon Crean has been reinforcing and underlining this point not just this week, but continually, indeed, since the collapse of the Doha Round talks at this - at about this time last year.
We continue to very strongly believe that a successful conclusion to the Doha Round is important to the international economy, is important to our region, is important to Australia, and we will continue to pursue those efforts.
APEC has a very important role to play in reinforcing that importance. And, as I say, at about this time last year, indeed, the week before APEC met last year in Peru, in Lima, the Doha Round collapsed. We then saw in APEC the following week a very strong communiqué about the importance of resuscitating those talks, the importance of completing the agreement. But also we saw an important regional trade initiative which was the P4, now called the Trans Pacific Partnership, which sees additional countries interested in that regional trade agreement.
So, I'm expecting a very strong communiqué from leaders so far as openness of markets and trade is concerned, underlying and reinforcing Australia's and APEC's strong view of the importance of successfully completing that Round.
I'm not proposing to put a timetable on it, but Simon Crean continues to work very assiduously with his colleagues on that matter.
QUESTION: Do you think more US leadership is needed [inaudible]?
STEPHEN SMITH: The United States has been intricately engaged in discussions on Doha from day one and their involvement will continue.
It enables me to make an important point, which we very strongly believe, that the United States' ongoing engagement in the Asia-Pacific is absolutely essential. And we've welcomed very much, and I again put it on the public record, how much we strongly support President Obama and Secretary of State Clinton's undertakings and actions to, not just consolidate, but to enhance United States engagement in our region.
The President is about to embark upon a trip to Japan and then to Singapore for APEC, and then to China and Korea. That's a very good thing. We welcome it.
Secretary of State Clinton, who I spoke with yesterday on a number of occasions, has been very assiduous in her visits to, and consultations with, the region, including APEC, including the ASEAN Regional Forum. So, ongoing and enhanced engagement is very welcome and very important.
QUESTION: There are reports around this morning that Australia has offered Sri Lanka more places for Sri Lankans to come to Australia legally in a bid to halt the influx of boats. Has that offer been made to Sri Lanka?
STEPHEN SMITH: We've had discussions, but I would not put it as an offer. I'm very happy just to quickly go through my discussions in Sri Lanka with Foreign Minister Bogollagama, but also with President Rajapaksa.
They really fell into three categories. One was, of course, the need to combat people smuggling and the criminal syndicates who run that out of Sri Lanka. We've signed a Memorandum of Understanding for enhanced legal cooperation on that front, assistance and capacity building on prosecutions, and better and greater cooperation and exchange of information on disruption, and the like. So, that's a good thing. And the cooperation to date has been good, but it will be enhanced.
Secondly, Sri Lanka has come through a terrible conflict, a civil war that's effectively lasted for 25 years. That conflict is now over, but we now need, in Australia's very strong view, to try and help Sri Lanka win the peace. I've made the point on a number of occasions to Foreign Minister Bogollagama, to President Rajapaksa, both previously and in Sri Lanka on Monday, that the challenge now for Sri Lanka is to win the peace.
Two things need to occur. We need to see the people in the displaced people's camps resettled as quickly as possible. We welcome very much the fact that large numbers of people have been resettled in recent times. We welcome very much the fact that, in recent times, there's been very much improved access by the international institutions and agencies and international NGOs. And our special representative, John McCarthy, is as we speak, in the north in one of the displaced people's camps.
So, we have given in the past, assistance, and I announced on Monday enhanced assistance for basic things required to assist resettlement. Money for de-mining - a lot of the community areas where people need to return to are littered with landmines, so we're putting a substantial effort into that. Community housing, $3 million to United Nations-HABITAT to help with the repair or rebuilding of housing. And also through the World Food Programme, $2 million for food assistance to the people who are resettled but who can't put themselves in a position of subsistence farming or growing crops.
And we are open to do more. I had a discussion yesterday with Bob Zoellick from the World Bank about how Australia can potentially be of assistance to the World Bank's reconstruction project in north Sri Lanka, and the same applies to the Asian Development Bank, which also has a reconstruction project. So we have to help on the resettlement.
In addition to that - that is very much a short term matter - to win the peace, Sri Lanka has to effect a political reconciliation. It has to move on matters of devolution, it has to make all Sri Lankans feel as though they have a role in the country's future, a peaceful future. And Sri Lanka will be judged by the international community on those two matters.
The third area I had a conversation with Foreign Minister Bogollagama and President Rajapaksa about, was whether it might be possible for us to see whether, as part of our ordinary annual migration program, we might be able to look at additional entrants to Australia from Sri Lanka to offset the attractions of the people smugglers; whether we could craft a program which would be of incentive to people who might otherwise, or of attraction to people who might otherwise be attracted to putting themselves in the hands of people smugglers.
That was the basis of conversation. Our immigration officials will now look at that. But I certainly wouldn't categorise it as an offer. It's a discussion that I had, and I was very pleased to have it, and will pursue it. And if we can find a program which will undercut the attractions of the people smugglers to vulnerable people, then we'll move forward. But we'll certainly let that be known at the time.
QUESTION: Minister, just a quick question on China. Do you think there's enough ballast in the relationship between Australia and China to prevent a rift happening again like we've seen recently with the Rio…
STEPHEN SMITH: A couple of things: I made a speech on China a couple of weeks ago and that reflects our comprehensive view. We welcomed very much the visit of Vice Premier Li, that was very successful and we welcomed his remarks.
I think both Australia and China understand that from time to time we will have differences over particular matters. But the complementarity of the economic relationship, the strength of the relationship, is such that we have and can and will work through these issues, and we take a long-term patient view of our relationship with China.
I'll be meeting with Foreign Minister Yang later today, as we invariably do in the margins of APEC or ASEAN. It will be good to catch up with him.
But we have to take, as I said in my remarks a week or so ago, not a starry-eyed view of our relationship with China but a clear-eyed view of our relationship with China. We have different systems, different values and, as a consequence of that, from time to time on matters like Rebiya Kadeer, differences will arise and we understand and accept those differences and work our way through them.
QUESTION: What's the latest on the Stern Hu case? I see that you'll be bringing that up on the sidelines of this APEC meeting.
STEPHEN SMITH: That will fall for discussion with Foreign Minister Yang later in the day.
Our officials had their most recent consular visit to Stern Hu a few days ago. From memory, the ninth of this month, but a few days ago. That's part of our regular consular access. The next consular visit will be in early to mid-December.
We were advised, our officials were advised, at that visit, or informed at that visit, that the Chinese authorities, in accordance with Chinese law, have extended the investigation period for a further two months. So that will take the investigation period, as I understand it, to early to mid-January. That's been done in accordance with Chinese law. And we continue to say to Chinese authorities, as I will to Foreign Minister Yang, that whilst we understand that this matter is being progressed in accordance with Chinese law, we do think it's in everyone's interest for the matter to be expedited and resolved as quickly as possible.
QUESTION: And is his family being constantly updated by the Government on these latest developments?
STEPHEN SMITH: Well, whenever we have a consular visit we inform both his next of kin - his family - and also his employer. And all of the advice that I have received are that he is in a good state of health and in a good demeanour for a person who is in detention.
But we, whenever we have our consular visit, our officials ensure as quickly as possible that his family and his employer are informed as to his welfare.
QUESTION: Can we get a just quick comment on Burma. Hillary Clinton yesterday was saying that she wants the region to work towards… or help the military regime work towards, a democracy and obviously free Aung San Suu Kyi from house arrest. What's happening from Australia's end?
STEPHEN SMITH: We had a very good meeting in the margins of the General Assembly, the so-called Secretary General's Friends of Burma group, of which Australia is a founding member. And whilst there are graduations of views around the table, I think people have come to a consensus view that we need to do more to try and encourage the regime back to a democracy, to have a better environment for an election.
Of course Australia's longstanding position is that Aung San Suu Kyi and other political prisoners should be released, there should be respect for the rule of law and return to democracy. But no-one is suggesting that that is going to occur overnight.
I had a good conversation with Kurt Campbell, the Assistant Secretary of State, on these matters - he has the day to day running of it - and we've agreed that we'll catch up in the next couple of weeks and have a more extensive conversation.
But we are very supportive of the United States in their efforts to bring about change in Burma. But we have also - and this is the point that Secretary of State Clinton has made - we've also been working very closely with our ASEAN colleagues and partners in trying to bring about the same conclusion.
So, a good conversation with Kurt Campbell, and I expect to have a more extensive conversation in the next couple of weeks.
QUESTION: Overnight, Rangoon dismissed Mrs Clinton's comments as, I think, colonial meddling. It's going to be an uphill battle?
STEPHEN SMITH: It's going to be a long conversation which will require assiduous attention to Burma, not just by the United States, not just by Australia, but by the region, including ASEAN, East Asia Summit, and ASEAN Regional Forum.
No-one is expecting that change will occur overnight, but it is in our view that the winds of change are starting to blow. But no-one is asserting that things will occur overnight or quickly.
[ENDS]
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