Jakarta, Canberra to ratify rescue pact

AUSTRALIA and Indonesia will sign an agreement on Tuesday that will boost cooperation in search and rescue operations involving asylum seekers.

The agreement, mooted earlier in the year in the wake of a series of incidents in which hundreds of asylum seekers lost their lives, is expected to give Australian aircraft rapid clearance to enter Indonesian airspace.

It also boosts maritime cooperation aimed at speeding up the response times of rescue agencies when dealing with incidents involving the safety of life at sea.

There has been criticism in the past about slow response times when dealing with asylum seeker boats sinking in Indonesian waters as they make their way to Christmas Island.

In August, more than 100 people perished when their boat foundered in the Sunda Strait.

The Indonesian search and rescue agency, BASARNAS, did not begin an aerial search until more than six hours after a distress call was received by the Australian Maritime and Safety Authority.

It was almost 24 hours before the first survivors were pulled from the water.

The agreement, to be signed in Jakarta on Tuesday by Australian Transport Minister Anthony Albanese and his Indonesian counterpart, E.E Mangindaan, will likely allow Australian aircraft to operate in Indonesian airspace.

Aircraft would also be able to land and refuel at airfields when engaged in search and rescue activities.

Indonesia will be provided with satellite communications technology to improve its search and rescue capabilities, while BASARNAS is to be given access to ship tracking capabilities to enable it to enlist the help of merchant ships in the event of emergencies involving asylum seeker boats.

Australia will provide $4.42 million to fund the measures, as part of the $38.4 million Indonesia Transport Safety Assistance Package established in 2007.

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