Fed: Australia turns back boat people rescued by Norweigan ship

AAP General News (Australia)
08-27-2001
Fed: Australia turns back boat people rescued by Norweigan ship

By Jordan Baker and Selina Day

CANBERRA, Aug 27 AAP - Australia today turned away a Norwegian ship carrying more than
430 boat people it had rescued from a sinking fishing boat off Christmas Island.

Prime Minister John Howard said the ship had been refused entry to Australian waters
and responsibility for the asylum seekers now fell to Indonesia and Norway.

He said the rescue took place in international waters where Indonesia has responsibility
for search and rescue.

Mr Howard said the ship was obliged under international law to take the passengers
to the nearest feasible disembarkation point, which would be the Indonesian port of Merak,
near Jakarta.

"It is our view that as a matter of international law, this matter is something that
must be resolved between the government of Indonesia and the government of Norway," he
told reporters.

Arne Rinnan, captain of the Norwegian freighter Tampa, said he initially headed to
Indonesia after the rescue but was forced by the asylum seekers to alter course to Christmas
Island.

"They just told me they would jump overboard. They were speaking in an excited, aggressive
manner," he told the Nine network.

"It was a tense moment. When I decided then to go to Christmas Island because that
was the closest place, everything calmed down."

At last report the Tampa was drifting 20km off Christmas Island, which is 350km south
of the Indonesian island of Java.

The ship's captain and Norwegian and Indonesian authorities have been informed of the
federal government's decision to prevent the Tampa from entering Australian waters.

Indonesia's Foreign Affairs spokesman Wahid Supriyadi said his government would only
make a decision on whether to allow the Tampa back into Indonesian waters after a request
from the ship's captain.

A Norwegian embassy spokesman said there would be no comment until Norway's government
reviewed the decision.

But the ship's owners said they were surprised at the decision.

"I'm quite surprised, because we got the understanding that it was made clear that
they could go to Christmas Island and let people go over there," shipping company Wilh
Wilhelmsen vice-president Hans-Christian Bangsnoen told ABC radio.

Australian Greens Senator Bob Brown called on Mr Howard to reverse the decision.

"It's harsh, it's inhuman, and it is going to create a rising resentment with other
governments, as well as many people who are more humanitarian within the Australian community,"

he told reporters.

"It is likely to lead to those people refusing to get off those boats onto rescue ships
in the future."

Mr Howard said the decision to deny the Tampa entry had been made in the national interest.

"This is a very difficult, sad situation," he told parliament.

"We have sought on all occasions to balance against the undoubted right of this country
to decide who comes here ... against our humanitarian obligations as a warm-hearted, decent
international citizen."

Mr Howard said Australia would offer the asylum seekers and rescuers humanitarian help
and protection, including the landing of food and medical supplies and the provision of
doctors if necessary. Indonesia would also be offered financial assistance.

And Australia would be prepared to protect the Norwegian crew. Mr Howard said he had
been told the asylum seekers were not armed and he did not not know if the crew carried
weapons.

Mr Rinnan told ABC radio earlier today it was company policy for no weapons to be carried
on board.

Mr Howard said he hoped the action sent a message to people smugglers around the world
that Australia was not a soft touch.

Opposition Leader Kim Beazley supported the government's actions, saying they were
appropriate and seemed to conform with international law.

AAP jb/daw/vr/mo

KEYWORD: BOAT NIGHTLEAD

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