Australia caves in to demands from teenagers

The Australian government has given in to demands from nine asylum seeking teenagers who threatened to commit suicide by throwing themselves on razor wire.

The five Afghan and four Iraqi youngsters, aged 16 and 17, had said they would end their lives unless they were removed from the detention centre in Woomera .

Officials will not say where the children had been sent, but they are believed to be on their way to Adelaide. They are likely be placed in foster homes.

A separate group of nine, all aged 18, remained in Woomera and said they would harm themselves tomorrow if they are not moved out.

As the crisis entered its 14th day, the government's Immigration Detention Advisory Group recommended closing the camp, a former missile testing base 1,120 miles west of Sydney.

"Woomera is an extremely harsh environment in which to detain anybody," said Paris Aristotle, member of the Immigration Detention Advisory Group.

Hundreds of mostly Afghan asylum seekers are on hunger strike at Woomera. The protesters are demanding that the government speed up their asylum claims and move them out of the camp.

Detainees at other detention centres across Australia have also joined the hunger strike in a show of solidarity.

There are about 3,000 illegal immigrants mainly from Afghanistan, Iraq, Iran and southern Asia currently in detention in five camps across Australia.

Prime Minister John Howard has refused to back down, despite the issue threatening to overshadow his week long visit to the United States. He is scheduled to address the World Economic Forum and meet with UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan.