Australia yesterday refused entry to a freighter carrying hundreds of mostly Afghan boat people, the first time it has turned back a ship carrying asylum seekers.
The Norwegian freighter, an unwitting player in the saga, rescued 434 people from a sinking ferry near Indonesia on Sunday. The asylum seekers forced the captain to go to Australia's Christmas island after some threatened to jump overboard.
Prime Minister John Howard made it clear he hoped the tough stance of refusing entry would send a clear message to a rising tide of illegal immigrants.
PHOTO: AFP
"We simply cannot allow a situation to develop where Australia is seen around the world as a country of easy destination," Howard told a news conference in Canberra.
In the past 11 days, more than 1,500 illegal immigrants have arrived in Australia. The country took in thousands of Vietnamese boat people in the late 1970s and 1980s.
The captain of the Norwegian-registered Tampa, Arne Rinnan, said the situation was calm on board and that he was awaiting orders on when to leave. But he wanted a doctor to attend to a few sick people first.
"We were disappointed we could not land in Australia because we expected to land these people this morning," Rinnan said from his ship. "Everything is calm at the moment because they can see Christmas Island. They haven't yet been told they will not be allowed to go to Australia."
Howard said Australia was acting within international law by handing the matter over to the governments of Indonesia and Norway to resolve. He said Australia would supply humanitarian aid to the ship, such as food, water and medical supplies.
No one at either embassy was immediately able for comment.
The boat people were rescued after their wooden ferry issued a distress signal.
The sinking boat was closest to the Indonesian port of Merak at the time and Indonesian authorities had started to prepare for their arrival, Australia said. Christmas island is 350km south of the Indonesian island of Java.
Rinnan, who was en route to Singapore, said he was forced to turn around when some of the boat people threatened to throw themselves overboard if he did not take them to Australia.
"I had five people [on the bridge] and they were talking in aggressive and highly excited voices and were severely threatening," Rinnan told Australian radio earlier.
Howard said this was not Australia's problem.
Refugee advocacy groups and human rights organizations condemned the decision to turn back the Tampa.
"To prevent people from seeking protection is something that is contrary to our [international], obligations," Margaret Piper, head of independent Refugee Council of Australia, said.
Howard, whose popularity has waned over the past year, faces a year-end election in which immigration is expected to be a major issue.
About 5,000 illegal immigrants arrive in Australia each year and the country is taking a hardline approach to what it terms "queue jumpers."
Indonesia said yesterday it would not allow the Tampa to enter its waters.
"The asylum seekers never have any intention of staying in Indonesia. We can't let the boat enter our waters, if they do we will have to evict them in accordance with procedures," said Navy spokesman First Admiral Franky Kayhatu.
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