Scott Morrison goes quiet as fate

of two boatloads kept a secret

No comment on boat arrivals: Immigration Minister Scott Morrison. Photo: Alex
Ellinghausen
Heath Aston, Ben Doherty-June 30, 2014
Two boatloads of asylum seekers are believed to be aboard Australian vessels off Christmas
Island but the government has refused to confirm their existence or comment on whether they
will be allowed to set foot in Australia.
By Sunday evening it had been more than 2 hours since any civilian communication with a
former fishing trawler carrying !"# Tamil asylum seekers$ including #% children$ that left the
southern Indian city of &ondicherry !' days ago.
(efugee advocates believe they have been interce)ted by the navy and transferred to the
customs vessel *cean &rotector$ which is e+ui))ed to hold 2", )eo)le.
A second boat that left Indonesia is also believed to have been sto))ed off Christmas Island by
the customs shi) Triton.
If the asylum seekers are taken to Christmas Island before being flown to -auru or .anus
Island$ it will sna) a six/month )eriod during which no boats arrived in Australia under the
Coalition )olicy of boat turnbacks and offshore )rocessing.
0est Australian 1abor .& Alannah .acTiernan$ who was on Christmas Island over the
weekend$ said2 334veryone is on standby waiting for instructions as to whether or not the boat is
going to be unloaded here or whether or not it3s going to be taken elsewhere.33
A s)okesman for Immigration .inister Scott .orrison declined to )rovide any information.
5reens senator Sarah 6anson/7oung said the more than #, children believed to be on board the
Tamil boat$ including a one/year/old baby$ should not be ke)t on a customs vessel.
33It is more like o)eration )rison shi)s than it is *)eration Sovereign Borders$33 she said. 33I3m
extremely concerned that the government is holding these asylum seekers on board customs
vessels. 0e know they3ve been doing that in the )ast with other boats for a number of days$
weeks. A )rison shi) is no )lace for children.33
(efugee Action Coalition s)okesman Ian (intoul said by ".#,)m on Sunday it had been 2'
hours since )hone contact was lost with the Tamil boat when it was !%" nautical miles off
Christmas Island.
Its occu)ants had re)orted an oil leak$ a diesel shortage and sickness among the )assengers.
5ladston 8avier$ a refugee advocate in cam)s in southern India$ said re)orts of the boat3s
distress had reached refugee communities there.
33There are )eo)le missing from the cam)s$ and their relatives are asking about what has
ha))ened to their loved ones$33 he said.
9&eo)le living here are vulnerable and some had been )re)aring for +uite a long time to take
this dangerous :ourney to Australia.
33&eo)le here know about the dangers$ and they know about the terrible laws in Australia$ which
mean you cannot get residency but$ still$ a small number of )eo)le have made the decision to
go.9
;r 8avier said if a boat was in distress in Australian waters$ the country had a legal$ as well as
moral$ obligation to offer hel).
96umanitarian considerations need to be the highest )riority. If this boat is in distress$
authorities must give assistance$ they cannot let these )eo)le die on the high seas. &eo)le here
are very scared for the suffering of the )eo)le on the boat$ for their lives.9
.ore than %,$,,, Sri 1ankan Tamil refugees live in isolated refugee cam)s in the state of
Tamil -adu$ in southern India. They are restricted from moving or working$ and cannot a))ly
for )ermanent visas or citi<enshi).
Asylum seeker boat not heard from in 24 hours
amid silence from o!ernment
Australian customs believed to have intercepted vessel carrying Tamils but immigration
minister refuses to comment
Scott .orrison arrives at the )ress conference in .elbourne on Saturday. &hotogra)h2 ;avid
Crosling=AA&
"li!er #auhland/Sunday 2> ?une 2,!
A boat said to be carrying more than !", Tamil asylum seekers including young children has
not been heard from for nearly 2 hours as s)eculation mounts that it has been interce)ted by
Australian customs.
*n Saturday the immigration minister$ Scott .orrison$ refused to confirm the boat@s existence
des)ite numerous re)orters and asylum advocateshaving s)oken to )eo)le on board.
It a))ears to be one of a number of boats )ossibly interce)ted by Australia in the )ast two
weeks. 5uardian Australia revealed on .ondaythat a boat was understood to have made two
emergency calls to search and rescue in -ew Aealand after getting into difficulty off the north/
west coast of Australia. Another boat de)arting from ?ava carrying ", asylum seekers
was re)orted on Saturday.
Ian (intoul$ of the (efugee Action Coalition$ told 5uardian Australia he had last s)oken to a
)assenger on board the boat carrying Tamils about 2 hours ago and had been told there were
#% children on board$ including a one/year/old baby$ and #2 women.
(intoul said the boat was leaking oil and had run out of diesel around !%" nautical miles from
Christmas Island.
It was understood at that )oint that the boat had been contacted by Australian authorities and
had left the south Indian state of Tamil -adu on !# ?une$ meaning it had been at sea for nearly
two weeks.
BThey told me there were a number of sick children on board$ some had been vomiting$
although it wasn@t a medical emergency$C (intoul said.
The 1abor .& Alannah .acTiernan$ who was on Christmas Island on Saturday night$ said
immigration staff on the island were Bon standby waiting for instructionsC and had been told
both boats had been interce)ted.
BThey3re saying that two boats have been interce)ted and the shi) on which they3re being
loaded is in Christmas Island waters$C .acTiernan told the ABC.
The 5reens@ immigration s)okeswoman$ Sarah 6anson/7oung$ said she was concerned that
those on board the two boats were being held on B)rison shi)sC rather than being brought
ashore for )rocessing.
B0here are these )eo)leDC 6anson/7oung said. BThey haven@t been brought ashore to
Christmas Island. They should be immediately$ and we should be looking after those children.C
6anson/7oung said she understood the Australian customs vessel *cean &rotector was
interce)ting the boat from south India.
*n Sunday afternoon Christmas Island shire )resident 5ordon Thomson told 5uardian
Australia there was still no sign of either boat reaching Christmas Island.
In .ay 5uardian Australia revealed )hotogra)hs from inside the *cean &rotector showing the
cram)ed living conditions for interce)ted asylum seekers. The )ictures were hand/drawn by
asylum seeker children on the canvas bunks.
*n Sunday .orrison@s office did not res)ond to a re+uest for comment. A day earlier he said in
.elbourne that there were no significant incidents at sea to re)ort. BI am advised that I have no
such re)ort to )rovide to you today.C
6e would not confirm if there was a boat$ if it was in Australian waters$ or if the government
had taken any action.