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THE International Organisation for Migration has withdrawn its staff from a dock at the Indonesian port city of Merak, fearing they could be taken hostage by 247 increasingly desperate asylum seekers staging a sit-in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

Australian Broadcasting Corporations

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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."

Australian Broadcasting Corporations

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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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