Delegation Heads to Indonesia Wednesday to Follow Up on Asylum-Seekers' Case

An official Lebanese delegation will head on Wednesday to Indonesia to follow up the case of last week's asylum-seekers ferry sinking and to ensure the safe return of the survivors.

The members of the delegation were supposed to depart from Beirut's Rafik Hariri International airport at 11:50 a.m. however, the flight was postponed to 7:45 p.m. until their visas are ready.

The delegation includes caretaker State Minister Ahmed Karami, High Relief Commission chief Brig. Gen. Ibrahim Bashir in addition to a number of officials from the Foreign Ministry, a representative of the General Security, and a DNA specialists.

Authorities in northern Lebanon began taking samples Tuesday from relatives of the missing.

The boat, which was estimated to be carrying between 80 and 120 Middle Eastern illegal immigrants, went down on Friday in rough seas off Indonesia's main island of Java. It was headed for Australia's Christmas Island.

Twenty-eight people have escaped alive.

“The Lebanese embassies in Indonesia, Malaysia and Australia formed a crisis cell to facilitate the work of the delegation,” Bashir told the state-run National News Agency.

He pointed out that the delegation will compare the DNA tests that were run at the Université Saint-Joseph university with the the remains of dozens of recovered bodies using DNA testing.

“The delegation will also resolve the situation of the six Lebanese that are held in Indonesia to safely return them to Lebanon,” Bashir added.

The Lebanese foreign ministry said Sunday there were 68 Lebanese, including children, on board the ill-fated vessel and that 18 survived the ordeal while at least 28 were still missing.

Lebanese Charge d'Affaires in Indonesia Joanna Qazzi told Voice of Lebanon radio (100.5) earlier that the six Lebanese were detained for holding expired visas.

“They will be released after the fine is paid,” Qazzi said.

She pointed out that the Lebanese state will pay a $55 million fine to return them to the country.

Security services on Tuesday arrested four Lebanese citizens on suspicion of involvement in the case of people smuggling to Australia via Indonesia and Malaysia, state-run National News Agency reported.

Three of them have since been released however.

Rescuers have been unable to deploy boats to hunt in the rough seas, with waves at heights of four to six meters.

Hundreds have died in recent years attempting the journey after boarding rickety, wooden boats in Indonesia.