RI wants Australia to deal with human trafficking in a balanced way

Sydney (ANTARA News) - Indonesia wants Australia, its partner in initiating the "Bali Process," to encourage the settlement of the people-smuggling and trafficking-in-persons problems in a balanced way, Indonesian Ambassador to Australia and Vanuatu TM Hamzah Thayeb said here on Thursday.
"Under the Bali Process, the people-smuggling and trafficking- in-persons problems should be viewed in a balanced way," Hamzah Thayeb said in response to the dynamism and prospects of the two countries` relations under the Labor Party administration in Australia.
He said to Australia the issue of people-smuggling was of primary concern but trafficking-in-persons also needed to be addressed.
In this context, the Indonesian envoy said the conflicts which contributed to people-smuggling in a number of countries should be brought to an end.
The Bali Process, initiated by Indonesia and Australia through a ministerial conference in February 2002, is a regional cooperation scheme to deal with people-smuggling, trafficking-in-persons and other transnational crimes.
Ministers from some 38 countries were present at the February 2002 conference which was held following a surge in people- smuggling and other transnational crimes from 1999 to 2001. (*) END

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