Asylum seekers injured in riot-Christmas Island

LATEST NEWS-11:30 AM WAST



Thirty-seven Afghans and Sri Lankans have been injured in a massed brawl on Australia's Christmas Island involving 150 detainees.

Ten of the detainees were taken to the island's hospital and three of the more seriously hurt - one with a broken leg, one with a broken jaw and one with a broken nose - were flown to Perth for treatment on Sunday.

Some guards suffered minor injuries while breaking up the fight, an Immigration Department spokesman said.

Christmas Island detention centre authorities have now separated the Afghan and Sri Lankan detainees, with those believed to be the cause of the trouble placed in "stronger" detention, Immigration Minister Chris Evans said.

Senator Evans rejected suggestions the brawl was caused by tensions arising from overcrowding at the offshore detention centre, blaming the incident on anxiety caused by the repatriation of some Sri Lankans.

"We've had some people removed back to Sri Lanka found not be refugees," he told ABC Radio on Monday.

"But essentially we've had a fight between some detainees which got out of hand."

There was always a tension inside a detention centre for 1000 people, Senator Evans said.

"It's like any other place where you have to detain large groups of people."

There will be a full investigation by the Australian Federal Police, he said.

WEAPONS USED

The trouble began about 6.30pm on Saturday. As the confrontation between the Afghans and more recently arrived Sri Lankans developed, those involved wielded pool cues, broom handles and branches.

Detention centre staff moved in quickly to break it up but it took them 30 minutes to get those fighting under control.

"This was a confrontation between a group of detainees, it was not aimed at staff or the centre itself," the spokesman said.

There are 969 asylum seekers detained in the centre, which is designed to take 1088.

The spokesman said the detention centre was not overcrowded and all of the detainees were accommodated appropriately.

The two groups involved had been separated to ensure there was no further friction, he said, and they were being kept apart in two sections of the centre.

''All is calm and there have been no further incidents,'' the spokesman said.

The Opposition immigration spokeswoman, Sharman Stone, described it as "very disturbing" and called on the Federal Government to launch an independent inquiry into what went wrong.

She said it was a "serious breach of internal security" and both detainees and staff were in real danger.

Forty-four boats carrying 2094 passengers, most of them from Sri Lanka, Afghanistan and Iraq, and 92 crew have arrived in Australian waters so far this year.

The latest was intercepted by the Australian Customs vessel Roebuck Bay south-west of the Ashmore Islands on Friday.

It was carrying 53 passengers and two crew, and they were taken to Christmas Island.

The boat was the fifth to arrive in Australian waters in a week.
SMH

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Theory: Origins of Hazaras

The origins of the Hazaras are not fully reconstructible and thus debatable.

At least partial Mongol descent is difficult to rule out, because the Hazaras' physical attributes and parts of their culture and language resemble those of Mongolians. Thus, it is widely accepted that Hazaras do have Mongolian ancestry, if not direct male-line descent from Genghis Khan, as some Hazaras allege. Some Hazara tribes are named after famous Mongol generals, including the Tulai Khan Hazara named after Tolui, the youngest son of Genghis Khan. Theories of Mongol or partially Mongol descent, are plausible, given that the Il-Khanate Mongol rulers, beginning with Oljeitu, embraced Shia Islam. Today, almost all Hazaras adhere to Shiism, whereas Afghanistan's other ethnic groups are mostly Sunni.

Another theory proposes that Hazaras are descendants of the Kushans, the ancient dwellers of Afghanistan famous for constructing the Buddhas of Bamiyan. Its proponents find the location of the Hazara homeland, and the similarity in facial features of Hazaras with those on frescoes and Buddha's statues in Bamiyan, suggestive. However, this belief is contrary not only to the fact that the Kushans were Indo-European Tocharians, but also to historical records which mention that in a particularly bloody battle around Bamiyan, Genghis Khan's grandson, Mutugen, was killed, and he ordered Bamiyan to be burnt to the ground in retribution, renaming it Ma-Obaliq ("Uninhabitable Abode") while replacing the local population with his armies and settlers[citation needed].

A third theory, and the one accepted by most scholars, maintains that Hazaras are a very mixed race. This is not entirely inconsistent with descent from Mongol military forces. For example, Nikudari Mongols settled in eastern Persia and mixed with native populations who spoke various Iranian languages. A second wave of mostly Chagatai Mongols came from Central Asia and were followed by other Turko-Mongols, associated with the Ilkhanate (driven out of Persia) and the Timurids, all of whom settled in Hazarajat and mixed with the local Persian population, forming a distinct group.
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HAZARA GENETICS-MONGOL LINKED Y-CHROMOSOMES

HAZARA GENETICS-MONGOL LINKED Y-CHROMOSOMES

Genetically, the Hazara are primarily a mixture of eastern Eurasian and western Eurasian peoples.

Genetic research suggests that they are related to neighboring peoples, while there also seems to be a distant relation to Turkic and Mongol peoples of Inner Asia,such as the Uyghurs of China.

A Mongol element in the ancestry is supported by studies in genetic genealogy as well, which have identified a particular lineage of the Y-chromosome characteristic of people of Mongolian descent ("the Y-chromosome of Genghis Khan"). This chromosome is virtually absent outside the limits of the Mongol Empire except among the Hazara, where it reaches its highest frequency anywhere. About two thirds of the Hazara males sampled carry a Y-chromosome of this lineage.
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Aid staff pull back from asylum boat: Hostage probability

LATEST NEWS: 13:50 WAST


THE International Organisation for Migration has withdrawn its staff from a dock at the Indonesian port city of Merak, fearing they could be taken hostage by 247 increasingly desperate asylum seekers staging a sit-in on their boat.

For more than a month, the Tamils, led by spokesman ''Alex'', have refused to leave, demanding to be taken to Australia or at least be seen by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees.

Neither wish has been granted so far and Indonesia is negotiating with Sri Lanka to deport them back to their homeland.

''If we are going to be deported, we will become martyrs,'' said Alex. ''We would rather die than go back.''

According to IOM spokesman Chris Lowenstein-Lom, the staff who have been feeding and providing medical care to the asylum seekers for the past month have been in repeated conflict with them in recent days and are now scared.

''If relations deteriorate further, there is a real risk that they could become hostages,'' he said. ''IOM has therefore pulled back to a building 15 minutes' walk from the dock and the navy has taken over the tent.''

Alex, whose real name is Sanjeev Kuhendrarajah, said the IOM had been increasingly neglectful but he rejected as absurd the suggestion that he or the others on board would take them hostage.

''They are trying to discredit me,'' he said. ''They are trying to make me look like a terrorist.''

He said the IOM - the multinational body charged with caring for irregular migrants - had refused to provide medical attention to one of the asylum seekers, who had since been taken to hospital, a trip paid for by the Tamils.

The port in Merak has been locked down for several days, and tensions are rising. A policeman threatened to shoot the Tamils, according to Alex.

The withdrawal of the IOM means the Indonesian navy has to deliver food, water and organise medical care.

Many of those on the boat are suffering from a variety of ailments as the monsoon season brings heavy rain.
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Asylum seekers are genuine, says UN

LATEST NEWS-20:50 WAST

The United Nations Refugee Agency says some of the people on board an Australian customs ship off the Indonesian coast are genuine refugees.

The 78 Sri Lankans are refusing to leave the Oceanic Viking because they do not want to be transferred to an Indonesian detention centre.

The UN's regional representative, Richard Towle, says some of the group have already been recognised as needing refugee protection.

"It's difficult for us to say exactly who's on board and what their background and profile is, but we understand there are a number of cases who are known to UNHCR - either as refugees or people who have some registration with our organisation in south-east Asia," he said.

The agency has not been asked to go on board the customs ship carrying the asylum seekers.

Mr Towle says it has become a complex political issue.

"We haven't been on board at this point because we haven't received a specific request from the government of Indonesia and of course, their consent and request would be a prerequisite of us going on board," he said.

Senior officials from the Australian and Indonesian governments are looking at ways to end the standoff.

Home Affairs Minister Brendan O'Connor says productive discussions are underway.

"Those discussions will continue. It's a difficult challenge," he said.

"We are patient as the Indonesians are and we want to do this in a civil way and will continue to focus on that.

"Let's remember, we rescued these people. They were in grave danger and now pursuant to the agreement reached, we want to have a peaceful transfer of these passengers onto Indonesian soil."

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Boat tragedy: teens among missing-Sri Lankan

LATEST NEWS-08:30 WAST

Two Sri Lankans aged 13 and 14 are among those missing after their boat sank near the Cocos Islands three days ago, Home Affairs Minister Brendan O'Connor has confirmed.

Of the 39 people who were on board, 27 have been rescued and three have been confirmed dead but the bodies of two are yet to be recovered from the water.

Nine people remain missing - two of which are 13 and 14 - and a 15-year-old is among survivors.

The survivors are on board the commercial vessel the LNG Pioneer and will be taken to Christmas Island at a later stage.

Mr O'Connor has told Radio National that the search is continuing but once it is light a decision will be made on whether to stop.

"The appropriate authorities look at the survivability of those that are yet to be recovered. It would appear that if there is in fact no hope when it's light they'll proceed to Christmas Island," he said.

Mr O'Connor said he has not yet had official confirmation that the Sir Lankans are seeking asylum but if they are they will be assessed on Christmas Island.

Political debate

In the wake of the disaster, the Federal Opposition has warned that Prime Minister Kevin Rudd's border protection policy was destined to put more lives at risk.

Opposition Leader Malcolm Turnbull says he will put in place policies that will stop people smugglers heading to Australia.

"Every Australian government's policy should be to secure our borders and ensure that people smuggling does not occur and there are no, or as few as possible, unauthorised maritime arrivals of asylum seekers," Mr Turnbull said.

The comments follow the latest Newspoll, which shows the electorate is losing faith in Mr Rudd's handling of the asylum seeker issue.

The Government's primary vote was down seven points to 41 per cent, putting it on equal footing with the Coalition, which jumped seven points from its 34 per cent rating two weeks ago.

The slump was also reflected in the two-party preferred polling results.

In the last poll, Labor had an 18-point lead over the Coalition - that has now been narrowed down to just four points, with Labor on 52 per cent and the Coalition at 48.

Mr Rudd also slipped by two points to 63 per cent in terms of preferred prime minister.

But Mr Rudd has refused to back away from his policy stance.

"What the Government is doing is ensuring that it implements its tough, responsible but fair policy - the one that we took to the people prior to the last election - and it's the one which serves Australia's long-term interests," Mr Rudd said.

"It's tough and hardline on people smugglers. It's humane on asylum seekers. That is a responsible policy in the national interest."

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Rudd Government slumps-One confirmed dead, 11 feared drowned as boat sinks

LATEST NEWS- 17:30 WAST

Boat passenger confirmed dead

At least one person is confirmed dead and another 11 remain missing, feared drowned, after a boat sank off the West Australian coast on Sunday night.

The Home Affairs Minister, Brendan O'Connor, says 27 people have been rescued since the boat went down in the Indian Ocean, 350 nautical miles off the Cocos Islands.

It is believed the boat was carrying 39 people when it sank.

The rescued passengers remain on board two commercial vessels that were the first on the scene of the incident and continue to help in the search.

The Federal Government says it does not know the origins of the boat or its occupants, and it has not ruled out taking the survivors to Christmas Island.

It has marshalled three planes to help search for the missing passengers.

Prime Minister Kevin Rudd says it is an unfolding rescue operation.

"This has only unfolded in the last 24 to 36 hours. It's still underway," he said.

"There are still people who we believe are unaccounted for.

"We've got the deployment of vessels, we've got deployment of RAAF aircraft, we've had rescue rafts released from those aircraft."

Coordinated rescue

The Australian Maritime Safety Authority is coordinating the rescue operation in Australia's vast search and rescue zone.

A Royal Flying Doctor Service (RFDS) jet has been sent from Perth and a Customs Dash 8 aircraft has also joined the search.

Stephen Langford from the RFDS says time is critical.

"It's temperate waters, so it's really a matter of getting out there to see if there are any survivors still there," he said.

"Obviously in this case time is critical because one wouldn't expect the people on board the boat would have much in the way of safety equipment."

Mr O'Connor says the Government has decided to work with the boats already in the region to carry out the rescue operation.

"We'll ensure that we do everything we can, firstly to rescue any remaining passengers that are at sea and provide whatever other support is required to assist the commercial vessels," he said.

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Asylum seeker issue erodes-PM's support-Ratings Plung...

LATEST NEWS-17:00 WAST

Newspoll shows support for the Rudd government has slumped as the asylum seeker

issue drags on.

Prime Minister Kevin Rudd is standing firm despite clear signs the electorate is losing faith in his border protection policies.

Amid a stand-off between authorities and 78 asylum seekers aboard an Australian Customs vessel, voters have clearly indicated their disapproval of Mr Rudd's "Indonesia solution".

The 78 Tamils aboard the Oceanic Viking, anchored for more than two weeks off Indonesia's Bintan Island, are refusing to disembark.

High-level talks between Australian and Indonesian officials took place on Tuesday in a desperate effort to resolve the situation.

But the damage had already been done.

The latest Newspoll shows support for the Rudd government has slumped over the past fortnight as the asylum seeker issue continued to dominate politics.

The poll, conducted at the weekend and published on Tuesday, shows support for Labor fell seven percentage points to 52 per cent on a two-party preferred basis.

It comes as the surge in asylum seekers took a deadly turn with at least one dead with almost a dozen still missing after their boat sank off the Cocos Islands.

Mr Rudd's approval rating also fell by four percentage points.

However, the prime minister says he will not resile from his stance on asylum seekers, maintaining his policy is "hardline on people smugglers" and "humane on asylum seekers".

"Polls go up, polls go down. My job is to govern in the national interest, because my job is to make decisions in the long-term national interest," Mr Rudd told ABC radio.

"What the government is doing is ensuring that it implements its tough, responsible but fair policy, the one that we took to the people prior to the last election, and it's the one which serves Australia's long-term interests.

"I understand that it won't necessarily be popular. People from the right of politics won't like it, people from the left of politics won't like it, but my job is to get on with the business of doing it."

Finance Minister Lindsay Tanner said he wasn't fazed by the polling slump.

But he admitted he might be worried if future polls showed a similar shift.

"If that is replicated in the next two or three polls, then that starts to become something of significance."

The slide in support for Labor has seen the coalition claw its way back to 48 per cent on a two-party preferred basis.

But that has not translated into a lift in the polls for Opposition Leader Malcolm Turnbull.

Mr Turnbull's approval rating was steady at 32 per cent.

The opposition leader responded by attacking the government's asylum seeker policy, including the removal of the Howard government's Pacific solution policy.

Mr Turnbull said if elected he would introduce tough measures to stop the people smugglers.

"We've done it before and we'll do it again," he said.

But he would not specify what action he would take over the 78 asylum seekers aboard the Oceanic Viking because he said he wasn't privy to all the detail.

Liberal frontbencher Tony Abbott described Mr Rudd's border protection policies as a "comprehensive failure".

Independent senator Nick Xenophon said the poll results represented a "confused" approach to the asylum seeker issue.

The voters wanted clarity, he said.

"They will respect you for standing by your principles and sticking by them but I think there is confusion as to what the government stands for."

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Air Force plane hours from rescue scene- missing people

LATEST NEWS: 15:30 hrs WST

MISSING BOAT

Where are the missing people who were on board?

The Australian Government has marshalled three planes to search for passengers missing after their boat sank in the ocean hundreds of miles from the Cocos Islands.

Nineteen people have been plucked from the sea and about 20 are still missing, but it is still not clear whether the boat was carrying asylum seekers trying to reach Australian waters.

Seventeen of the rescued were picked up by a natural gas carrier and the Federal Government has confirmed they are all men aged between 20 and 40.

Another two people were collected by a Taiwanese fishing boat.

The Government says it does not know the origins of the boat that sank or its occupants, and it has not ruled out taking the survivors to Christmas Island.

The Australian Maritime Safety Authority is coordinating the rescue operation in Australia's vast search and rescue zone.

The capsized boat is 2,700 kilometres from the mainland and more than a day's sailing from the nearest Australian government vessel, HMAS Larrakia.

And the Federal Government says a Royal Australian Air Force plane, a P3 Orion, is still hours away from the scene.

A Royal Flying Doctor Service (RFDS) jet is flying from Perth and a Customs Dash 8 aircraft will also join the search.

"It's just such a long way away it's a matter of trying to get aircraft to the region as quickly as possible," said Stephen Langford from the RFDS.

He says time is critical.

"It's a fairly urgent task because there's still people in the water and the weather is not fantastic," he said.

Government rescue efforts

Home Affairs Minister Brendan O'Connor says the Government has decided to work with the boats already in the region to carry out the rescue operation.

But he will not say where the rescued people will be taken.

"We'll ensure that we do everything we can, firstly to rescue any remaining passengers that are at sea and provide whatever other support is required to assist the commercial vessels," he said.

"That's our focus at the moment, but of course we'll look to the other issues about where the passengers should head as soon as we've done everything we can to save people that may be in the sea at this point."

Prime Minister Kevin Rudd says it is too soon to consider where the people should be taken.

"Our priority right now has to be, as you would expect of any government, to deploy necessary resources to attend to lives at risk on the high seas," he said.

Night-time accident

The Australian Maritime Safety Authority received a distress signal from the stricken boat about 11:15pm last night.

A spokesman for the Home Affairs Minister's office says a small Taiwanese fishing boat nearby told the Safety Authority that the boat of asylum seekers was taking on water but was not sinking.

The Taiwanese fishing trawler was not big enough to take the people on board and it stayed alongside until a Bahamas-flagged merchant ship, the LNG Pioneer, arrived.

The ABC understands the merchant ship arrived at the very moment the boat started sinking.

The Chief of the Defence Force, Air Chief Marshall Angus Houston, has shed some light on what happened next.

"When the first ship got there, this vessel was still intact," he said.

"Somehow or other during the process of the interaction between the ship and the trawler and also the stricken vessel, there has been a capsize and people have ended up in the water."

All 40 people on board the sinking boat ended up in the ocean.

The Government said there was no moonlight and that made search and rescue very difficult.

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