The fate of 85 Sri Lankan asylum seekers is still uncertain as the Department of Immigration and Citizenship decides what to do with the men.
HMAS Success intercepted the asylum seekers in the early hours of February 20, 50 nautical miles off Christmas Island, near the West Australian coast.
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Media reports have suggested that crew members from HMAS Success tried to repair an engine on the unseaworthy boat to turn the asylum seekers back.
The Immigration spokeswoman told theage.com.au, “I’ve heard that report but I can’t confirm whether or not that’s the case.”
Given the awfulness of our ‘Pacific Solution’ perhaps turning them back is more humane in a sick kind of way.
But why does this remind me of the SEIV-X incdent?
On 18 October 2001, a small, unnamed 19.5m by 4m fishing boat departed Bandar Lampung, Indonesia, with 421 passengers onboard. On the 19th the boat sank in international waters, within Indonesia’s zone of search and rescue responsibility, and also inside the Australian border protection surveillance zone. Approximately 146 children, 142 women and 65 men died. On the 20th 44 survivors were rescued by an Indonesian fishing boat, the Indah Jaya Makmur. A 45th survivor was rescued about twelve hours later by another boat, the Surya Terang [1].
Some survivors claimed that some passengers refused to board when they saw the state of the boat, but were forced aboard by Indonesian police.
From sievx.com
Why is it that the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) surveillance map of the day the SIEVX survivors were rescued by passing fishing boats does not show a rescue boat within 27 nautical miles of the rescue coordinates, when it appears that the RAAF Orion flew directly over the survivors as they were being plucked from the water?…
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Australia is denying permanent residency to survivors living here unlike other countries who provided secure residency to those who survived SIEVX. On the eve of the second anniversary of the sinking, Democrats Leader, Senator Andrew Bartlett moved a motion in the Senate, which included a request to the new Immigration Minister Amanda Vanstone to grant permanent visas on humanitarian grounds to the SIEVX survivors and those who had close family members who drowned on SIEVX. So far this request has been met with resounding silence.
Update: I bet Howard is thanking his lucky stars and hoping he can wedge Rudd on asylum seekers.
“They will not be allowed to land on the Australian mainland,” he told Southern Cross Broadcasting today.
Mr Howard said today Australia’s hardline policy of sending asylum seekers to offshore detention centres had not changed, and the latest arrival was a chance to reassert the government’s position.
“Clearly, sending them to Nauru is an option, but we are assessing all of the options,” Mr Howard said.
“It’s an opportunity for Australia to send a signal to people smugglers that they needn’t think for a moment that our policy has changed.
“This is a demonstration that we still have a very strong, effective border protection policy.”
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