Yesterday brought an end to the stand-off between Indonesian immigration officials and over a hundred Sri Lankan asylum seekers who have been on a boat at the port of Merak since October.

As The Sydney Morning Herald reports, “as a gallant, if ultimately pointless, six-month stand-off by Sri Lankan asylum seekers at the Indonesian port of Merak drew to a close yesterday, their spokesman, Nimal, began sobbing:

“We don’t know what they are going to do … They are going to take us to detention but they did not give us any guarantee about our resettlement,” Nimal cried. “We are waiting for you, Australia. We are waiting for your response.”

The asylum seekers have been taken to an immigration detention centre at Tanjung Pinang — so how were they convinced to leave?

This kind of resistance worked for the asylum seekers on the Ocean Viking last year, so why didn’t it work this time? Sara Nathan, a Tamil translator who was in Merak in December and January and is in contact with the asylum seekers, spoke to Crikey:

Why did the asylum seekers agree to leave?

They’ve been forced off the boat. They were not told where they were going. They were refused access to legal aid, even though legal aid was willing to assist them. So they were all taken to Tanjung Pinang and they didn’t know until they got there. They weren’t given a choice …

Two weeks ago the immigration officers, the International Organisation for Migration and the UN High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR), came and told them, ‘You need to get off the boat and be moved to a detention centre, it will be a nice place and you’ll be given UNHCR access within two days.’ They said, ‘Sounds fine, where are we going?’ And they were told, ‘Don’t ask any questions, don’t talk to anybody else because they’ll make you change your mind. We’ll come back in five days and take you.’ But nothing happened.

Then on the tenth day, yesterday, the immigration officers came and said, ‘Now you have to get off, otherwise we’ll arrest you.’ They said, ‘We need legal aid.’ They were told, ‘They’re not part of the government, they can’t be here.’

Australia apparently paid for the transportation from Merak to Tanjung Pinang. Initially Australia said it’s nothing to do with us. It looks like they want it cleaned up before the election. They’re using refugees as political pawns.

The asylum seekers on the Oceanic Viking held out for promises of fast processing. What’s the difference?

The others were on a Malaysian vessel but the Oceanic Viking rescued them. They were on an Australian customs vessel and Australia wanted that vessel back. While they’re on a Customs vessel it wasn’t doing its job, so if you kept it out of work for six months that’s a lot of money. It’s all financial.

When will they be resettled? Are they affected by the freeze on processing?

They were told by the UNHCR that they will be visiting them at the camp and processing their applications within two days of getting to Tanjung Pinang and that process would finish in two months. Within a year they’ll find resettlement.

… We don’t trust anything that’s said. Nothing was given in writing so we’re sceptical. We don’t want them lost in the system. Some of them have been in Indonesia as refugees for 16 years. They’ve been recognised as refugees.

Anybody who arrived in Australia after the 9th of April won’t be processed [for three months]. They haven’t arrived in Australia yet.

What were conditions like on the boat?

It was meant for 50 people but 250 people were cramped in it. There was only one toilet and shower. There were 31 children and 27 women among the 254.

These people paid for their passage and they didn’t get anywhere. They normally pay about $US2000 to get on the boat and then when they reach Australia they have to pay another $US14,000. But the Indonesian authorities have said the boat will be given back to the people smuggler because he owns the boat.

Not all of the asylum seekers originally on the boat remain there. What happened to the others?

They’ve gone to seek their own refuge. There’s 21 already held in detention centres. Eight got off the boat willingly because they were promised not to be put in detention. This was in early November but they only got UN High Commission for Refugees access in February. They’ve been held in detention in a small cell 24 hours a day, seven days a week, without being allowed out, so that didn’t encourage the others for getting off.

Who will arrange their resettlement?

The UNHCR puts them up. It’s up to the country to say ‘I will take x amount of refugees.’ Australia last year only took 39 refugees from Indonesia.