International
Nauru, the tiny Pacific island that hosts a controversial Australian immigration detention center, is hiking visa costs for foreign journalists by nearly 4,000 percent, fueling concerns over secrecy surrounding Australia's asylum-seeker policy.
The steady flow of refugee boats is a hot political issue in Australia, polarizing voters while stoking tension with neighbors such as Indonesia and Sri Lanka over border security policies criticized by the United Nations.
Nauru's decision to increase the cost of applying for a one-visit journalism visa from $180 to around $7,112 makes the rate one of the highest in the world.
"I understand the fee is for revenue purposes," Nauru government spokeswoman Joanna Olsson told Reuters in an email.
Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott's conservative Liberal-led coalition is under fire for what critics call secrecy regarding its policies to deter asylum-seekers making the perilous boat journey.
The government, in line with its policy of not commenting on "operational matters," has refused to confirm reports that Australia last month turned a boat carrying asylum-seekers back to Indonesia.
A report by the Australian Broadcasting Corp. (ABC) quoted passengers as saying that they received only one meal a day during the five-day ordeal and that Australian authorities used restraints and physical force against some of them.
Opposition Labor Party lawmaker Anthony Albanese accused the government of running a "North Korean"–style blackout over the issue.
Abbott defended the secrecy, telling an Australian radio station on Thursday that "the point is not to provide sport for public discussion, the point is to stop the boats."
The government has also refused to confirm or deny that it is planning to buy 16 hard-hulled lifeboats to ferry asylum-seekers to Indonesia.
Human rights group Amnesty International has criticized conditions at the detention centers on Nauru and on Manus island in Papua New Guinea, where access to adequate medical facilities and housing has been a major concern.
Tensions between Australia and Indonesia have been strained for months after a diplomatic row erupted in November over claims that Australia tried to tap the phones of Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, his wife and ministers.
Indonesian military chief Moeldoko insisted he did not approve of boats from Indonesia being turned back, despite media reports saying he did.
"My reply was not approval, no," Moeldoko, who goes by one name, told reporters. "I understand that these were tactical measures ... every country has the right to protect their territorial sovereignty."
"Please don't twist it (by saying) that the TNI (Indonesian military) commander has approved or that the military has facilitated this," he added.
Abbott on Thursday described Australia's relationship with Indonesia as "strong" and marked by "a lot of cooperation and mutual understanding."
The majority of those held in Nauru and on Manus have fled from war-torn areas, including Afghanistan, Darfur, Pakistan, Somalia and Syria.
"I don't see the logic of annoying the media," James Jupp, a professor at the Australian National University in Canberra, told Reuters, adding that Abbott could be telling the public he was fulfilling his election promise of stopping the boats, but was refusing to do so.
Al Jazeera and wire services
Tensions between Australia and Indonesia have been strained for months after a diplomatic row erupted in November over claims Canberra tried to tap the phones of Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, his wife and ministers.
Indonesian military chief Moeldoko insisted he did not approve of boats from Indonesia being turned back, despite media reports saying so.
"My reply was not approval, no," Moeldoko, who goes by one name, told reporters. "I understand that these were tactical measures... every country has the right to protect their territorial sovereignty," he said.
"Please don't twist it (by saying) that the TNI (Indonesian military) commander has approved or that the military has facilitated this," he added.
Abbott on Thursday described Australia's relationship with Indonesia as "strong" and marked by "a lot of cooperation and mutual understanding.”
The majority of those held in Nauru and on Manus have fled from war-torn areas, including Afghanistan, Darfur, Pakistan, Somalia and Syria.
"I don't see the logic of annoying the media," James Jupp, a professor at the Australian National University in Canberra, told Reuters, adding that Abbott could be telling the public he was fulfilling his election promise of stopping the boats, but was refusing to do so.
Al Jazeera and wire services
Tensions between Australia and Indonesia have been strained for months after a diplomatic row erupted in November over claims Canberra tried to tap the phones of Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, his wife and ministers.
Indonesian military chief Moeldoko insisted he did not approve of boats from Indonesia being turned back, despite media reports saying so.
"My reply was not approval, no," Moeldoko, who goes by one name, told reporters. "I understand that these were tactical measures... every country has the right to protect their territorial sovereignty," he said.
"Please don't twist it (by saying) that the TNI (Indonesian military) commander has approved or that the military has facilitated this," he added.
Abbott on Thursday described Australia's relationship with Indonesia as "strong" and marked by "a lot of cooperation and mutual understanding.”
The majority of those held in Nauru and on Manus have fled from war-torn areas, including Afghanistan, Darfur, Pakistan, Somalia and Syria.
"I don't see the logic of annoying the media," James Jupp, a professor at the Australian National University in Canberra, told Reuters, adding that Abbott could be telling the public he was fulfilling his election promise of stopping the boats, but was refusing to do so.
Al Jazeera and wire services
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