A top Indonesian foreign ministry official has hinted that linking asylum seeker boat turnbacks to the death penalty, as the Australian human rights watchdog president has done, may carry some weight.
The Abbott government angrily attacked Human Rights Commission president Gillian Triggs for appearing to connect Indonesia's refusal to negotiate on death penalty cases to displeasure over the controversial border protection policy.
"We are a little bit disappointed that (Australia) sends back boat people, while (Australia) is also telling us about human rights," Indonesian foreign ministry information director-general Esti Andayani told AAP in Bandung.
Share
