Will Rudd budge on the refugees on board of the Oceanic Viking?

Comments on Paul Kelly “Rudd can't budge on asylum-seekers”, 31/10/2009, http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,26282995-12250,00.html

While what Rudd and Smith said are true, the problem now is that the matter is largely out of their control and will be mainly dependent on the Indonesians and the Sri Lankans on board of the Australian ship.

If neither of them budges, then Rudd and Smith's patience will not work. The ship cannot stay in the Indonesian water forever and has to return to Australia sooner or later.

While the president may have agreed Rudd’s request, not every Indonesian is happy with Australia, not to mention their perception of Australia’s dumping the refugees to them. They will try to protest in their unique way and expose Australia’s problems in a very funny manner.

That is the problem that Rudd is in. Unfortunately Rudd does not have any choice of his own and is at the mercy of others.

Can Rudd budge? He can’t.

Will Rudd budge? It depends.