Sri Lankan refugee suicide threat quelled

JAKARTA, Oct. 14 (UPI) -- Indonesian authorities said Wednesday Sri Lankan refugees aboard a boat in West Java can no longer carry out a mass suicide threat.

An Indonesian navy spokesman said sailors had boarded the boat holding 260 Sri Lankans and removed their gas stoves and diesel fuel, the Australian Broadcasting Corp. reported.

A man aboard the ship reportedly threatened that the passengers would blow themselves up if they were forced ashore in Indonesia.

The spokesman said the navy is negotiating with the Sri Lankans, who were intercepted Sunday after receiving a tip from the Australian military, which was followed up by a phone call from Prime Minister Kevin Rudd to Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono.

Indonesian officials say the group had been promised delivery to Australia by a people-smuggling syndicate that took their passports. ABC reported the refugees didn't want to go ashore in Indonesia because they had been "disturbed and tortured" during their journey from Sri Lanka.