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Australia told it should have contacted Indonesia earlier over ship

One of Australia's most experienced diplomats says the impasse over the asylum seekers on board the Norwegian freighter Tampa, might have been avoided.

The former head of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade Richard Woolcott says the federal government should have discussed its plans with Indonesia, before making them public.

He says it's understandable that Indonesia is displeased with Australia:

The great mistake that has been made is to make this announcement of what is an important change in policy, without any prior consultation, either with the government of Indonesia, on which we are going to depend, or hope to depend for helping us out of the problem, or even with the UNHCR.

31/08/01 2:27:53 | ABC Radio Australia News

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