Refuge? What Refuge? In 2002 56 Sri Lankans (pictured above) were believed to be sailing for New Zealand where they intended to claim asylum. (Photo issued by the New Zealand Government, and courtesy of Scoop.co.nz.)

Pacific Scoop:
Report – By Josephine Latu.

The Timor Leste parliament has voted against any proposal to build a refugee processing centre on its shores for asylum seekers heading to Australia.

AFP reports that the 34 parliamentarians (out of a 66 seat House) voted unanimously on Monday to “firmly reject any plan to set up a refugee detention centre in East Timor”.

This after East Timorese Prime Minister had announced the country would keep an “open mind” to Australian PM Julia Gillard’s plan to set up a refugee processing post for the region.

Gillard had spoken on the telephone with Timorese President José Ramos Horta about the issue before publicising her plan last Monday. She said the refugee centre was aimed at “removing the incentive” Australia holds as a destination for people smugglers. She announced that both East Timor and New Zealand were “vital countries” in the scheme.

However, a statement released by the Timorese MPs showed no support for the initiative.

“We urge the government to reject any proposal which conveys an intention to build a refugee processing centre in our national territory,” they declared.

The opposition party Fretilin also reported that when president of the National Parliament, Fernando Araujo Lasama invited views on the issue last Thursday, the collective opposition was “as expected”.

“Every party with a seat in the national parliament expressed opposition to the plan and condemned it as being contrary to Timor-Leste’s interests and damaging to its national sovereignty,” stated the Fretilin release.

Fretilin MP José Teixeira added that legal complications and social implications on the population as a post-conflict society had to be addressed also.

“If it ever took off the ground, ever, then there would have to be very specific legislation including amendments to the current immigration and asylum legislation.

That would be very difficult to implement because under our constitution once we ratify international agreements or treaties they become a part of our national law automatically… I believe that there will be constitutional challenges. It is a long long way from ever being accepted or even considered,” he said.

Since the parliamentary vote Australian Foreign Affairs Minister Stephen Smith has stated that talks were continuing and the issue was still open.

“Unlike the Australian Parliament, East Timorese ministers do not sit in East Timorese parliament so this is a reflection on those members of the East Timorese parliament at the time and not the government’s response,” he told ABC Online.

Both Papua New Guinea and Solomon Island representatives have refused to endorse the establishment of a regional refugee post in their own homelands, while the only country reportedly welcoming the idea is Nauru. Nauru previously served as a refugee detention centre until it was shut down under the Rudd government in 2008.

However, PM Gillard will not consider Nauru as it is not a signatory to the United Nations refugee convention.

Josephine Latu is a postgraduate communication studies student from Tonga at AUT University’s Pacific Media Centre who is also contributing editor of Pacific Media Watch.

EDITOR’S NOTE: On Friday July 9 Josephine Latu accurately reported that Timor Leste would not allow a regional refugee centre to be established on its territory, and that Australia’s Prime Minister Julia Gillard will have to back off the plan. For background to this breaking news story see: Australian PM will likely back down from East Timor refugee plan.