Sri Lankan refugees disembark in Indonesia

CANBERRA, Australia, Nov. 18 (UPI) -- The remainder of 78 Sri Lankan asylum-seekers left an Australian ship and entered Indonesia Wednesday after weeks in diplomatic limbo, officials said.

Australian Home Affairs Minister Brendan O'Connor said the resolution of the complex crisis involving the refugees aboard the Oceanic Viking was welcome, the Australia Broadcasting Corp. reported.

"It's been a very good effort by the Indonesian and Australian authorities," O'Connor told the broadcaster. "The Australian government welcomes the realization of the agreement between the prime minister and Indonesian president that all those people rescued will disembark in Indonesia."

The refusal of the Sri Lankans to leave the boat and go to an Indonesian detention center precipitated a diplomatic crisis. The Australian ship rescued the refugees from their sinking boat in Indonesian waters 4 1/2 weeks ago, after which they insisted on going to Australia, the ABC said. Twenty-two Tamil men left the ship earlier.

The episode garnered criticism for Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd as opponents accused him of being soft on people smuggling.

Rudd told the ABC arrangements had been made to place the group's women and children in a "separate facility" near the detention center, one of the refugees' key demands.