MELBOURNE, April 16, 2005 (IslamOnline.net & News Agencies) – Children in Asian countries battered by the December killer tsunami are facing a new threat posed by convicted Australian paedophiles.

“It is of concern to me that paedophiles might use the current environment in Indonesia and Thailand, in fact the region, to prey upon children and Australia must do everything possible to stop what is an abominable activity,” Australian Justice and Customs Minister Chris Ellison said on Saturday, April 16.

He stressed that the government, Australian Federal Police and Asian authorities were working to stop paedophiles from exploiting circumstances caused by the tsunami, reported Reuters.

The Weekend Australian newspaper said that about 20 convicted paedophiles had tried to travel to Indonesia and Thailand immediately after the tsunami, but they were refused entry after their details were forwarded by Australia.

Ellison did not confirm the numbers involved, but said the paedophiles were on a national child sex offender register, which follows their movements.

“There is no allegation as I understand it that anyone has committed an offence, but certainly this is about prevention,” he told reporters.

A 9.3-strong undersea quake struck several South East Asian countries December 26 generating huge tidal waves that killed some 220,000 people and left a trail of unprecedented destruction.

Indonesia, the world's most populous Muslim country, was the worst hit.

The government estimated that 35,000 children have been made homeless, orphaned or separated from their parents in the hard-hit Aceh province, where Muslims make up 98 percent of the population.

Recent reports indicated that children were falling prey to mounting missionary activities in tsunami-hit areas.

The Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) and Islamic Development Bank (IDB) have jointly created a special fund to help orphaned children.