The Rudd Government has promised 78 Sri Lankans resettlement in Australia or another country within a year in a desperate bid to end the impasse on the Oceanic Viking, but the asylum seekers have rejected the offer.
It also flew leading refugee advocate Paris Aristotle to Indonesia to plead directly with the asylum seekers to get them to leave the vessel.
But the inducement of rapid processing and resettlement, and the presence of Mr Aristotle, the director of the Victorian Foundation for Survivors of Torture, did not work.
Revelations of the offer come as a top Indonesian diplomat said his government should reject Australia’s request for more time to resolve the Oceanic Viking asylum seeker impasse.
Sujatmiko, the Indonesian foreign ministry’s diplomatic security director, says the 78 Sri Lankan asylum seekers clearly cannot be persuaded to come ashore in Indonesia and his government should not extend the Oceanic Viking’s security clearance beyond Friday.
“The security clearance is expired tomorrow.
“I’m not sure whether there is any applications from the Australian government for the extensions.
“If we extend their stay here, in my personal view it is to prolong the suffering of the people.”
In a note thrown off the Oceanic Viking yesterday, the asylum seekers wrote: "You talked us if we back to Indonesia you can start our process very quickly in give us resettlement very quickly. We agree everything you talked about.
"But we are sorry to telling you we don't want to go back to Indonesia."
The note adds "this is our final decision" and says the asylum seekers will "close their life on the ocean" if they are forced off the boat.
A deadline for the Oceanic Viking to leave Indonesia expires today, though its permit to stay was likely to be renewed at the request of Australia, Foreign Ministry spokesman Teuku Faizasyah said.
The Sri Lankans have been aboard the Oceanic Viking for 20 days after being plucked from a sabotaged and unseaworthy wooden boat in Indonesian search and rescue waters by the Australian navy.
The stand-off is costing Australian taxpayers $75,000 a day and the Government is desperate to end the impasse before Kevin Rudd meets Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono on the sidelines of APEC in Singapore next weekend.
The Prime Minister is continuing to insist that he has boundless patience in dealing with the affair, but it remains unclear how long Indonesia will play along with the waiting game.
There is deep resentment about extending the stay of the Australian Customs vessel.
Dr Sujatmiko, the senior official in Tanjung Pinang running a task force on the crisis, said it was "unwise" to extend the permit, which would "prolong the suffering" of the Sri Lankans and waste the resources of the Indonesian navy, which has a ship nearby monitoring the Oceanic Viking.
Dr Sujatmiko's comments were slapped down later by Jakarta.
Sources close to the negotiations said the deal involved resettlement within a year, a condition that also reflected the demands of the Indonesian Government.
"They will not be able to stay at Tanjung Pinang (detention centre) indefinitely and there has to be a clear time frame," Mr Faizasyah said.
"Over a year would be too much.
"Your Government is talking to other countries, other parties to the UN refugee convention to assist them (with resettlement)."
Meanwhile, the Maritime Union of Australia said it would attempt to pass $10,000 to the Sri Lankans in a show of solidarity when there was a changeover of Australian crew on the ship.
As well as 22 Customs officers on the ship, there are about 19 Australian merchantmen. The money was collected by the union from seafarers, miners and wharfies.
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