Despair turns to hope for little boy lost

3 Sep 2012, 5:42 pm   -   Source: AAP

Authorities are hopeful a boy who survived last week's asylum seeker boat disaster off Java will be reunited with family after his uncle got in touch.

Despair has turned to hope for a 10-year-old survivor from last week's asylum seeker boat disaster off Indonesia after the boy's uncle contacted authorities.

Immigration officials in Indonesia say they will make every effort to reunite Omed with his family after an uncle, who lives in the United Kingdom, made contact during the weekend.

Omed was one of just 55 survivors from the asylum seeker boat disaster off the Javanese coast last week.

His father, an uncle and a cousin were among 100 others who perished after the rickety boat that was meant to take them to Australia broke down and sank just hours into the doomed journey.

As the only child survivor of the disaster, Omed was a forlorn figure as he arrived at Merak on Friday, seemingly all alone in the world.

Immigration officials had initially all but given up hope of finding the boy's mother, who is believed to be still in Afghanistan.

But there is now fresh hope that Omed can be reunited with his mother and family after an uncle living in the United Kingdom contacted the International Organisation for Migration (IOM).

The head of the Merak immigration office, Mangemet Tamin Satiawan, said that while the boy was heartbroken and said little in the hours after being brought to shore, his mood had changed since speaking to his uncle by phone.

"He spoke with his uncle, and was a little better," Mr Satiawan told AAP.

"He talked a lot, telling his uncle how his skin was hurting from being in the sun, and that he had trouble eating because his lips are so badly burnt.

"He was happier. When he was leaving, he said 'thank you' and hugged me."

Omed was moved from Merak on Monday morning to Jakarta, where he will be given special attention.

His case will be fast-tracked by Indonesian immigration officials, with help from the IOM.

"He will be processed quickly, because his case is special. He is just a kid," Mr Satiawan said.

"We are also trying to locate his mother. But this is difficult and may take time. We must do this through his uncle."

On Monday, officials from the IOM continued to interview the survivors, going from room to room at the Feri Merak hotel where the majority are being held under lock and key.

Another 10 remain in hospital.

They all paid at least $5500 - some paid much more - to be on the boat that was supposed to take them to Christmas Island.

As they were being brought ashore in Merak on Friday, many of the survivors identified a Pakistani man named Haji Ghulam as the people smuggler behind the ill-fated venture.

A high-ranking source with Indonesia's anti-people smuggling task force said on Monday that police had interviewed the survivors and were investigating the claims that Ghulam was responsible.

"He is definitely a name that we are investigating," the source told AAP.

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