Asylum seekers drown at sea

1 Nov 2011, 8:39 pm   -   Source: AAP
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There are fears as many as 20 asylum seekers have drowned after their boat sank in the early hours of Tuesday morning while en-route to Australia.

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There are grave fears for as many as 20 asylum seekers believed to have drowned after their boat sank in the early hours of Tuesday morning while en-route to Australia.

At least six people were confirmed dead by Home Affairs Minister Brendan O'Connor, while Indonesian authorities earlier said seven had died.

Indonesian police said the boat went down just hours after leaving from a port in Central Java.

The death toll was expected to rise with more people still missing.

Two young boys and three women were among those confirmed dead by authorities.

The boat, which left from Cilacap in Central Java with a crew of three, was carrying about 70 asylum seekers who had arrived in Indonesia from the Middle East.

It capsized near Nusakambangan Island between West Java and Central Java about 5am local time (0900 AEDT) on Tuesday after taking on water for about two hours.

Ciamis Water Police Chief Samsudin said the bodies of seven people including two young boys and three women had been recovered, adding, however, that more were still inside the capsized vessel.

"The dead have been identified as being from Afghanistan and Pakistan. The ones survived mostly from Iran," Samsudin said.

"We have found the location of where the ship capsized. But we haven't turned it. We think there are more dead bodies inside. Maybe about 10, but we're not sure."

Authorities were alerted by local fisherman who plucked survivors from the sea before water police from Ciamis in West Java arrived on the scene.

"They left Cilacap at 2am and around 3am their ship leaked. At 5am, their ship already sank and was found by local fishermen," Samsudin said.

"They said they're heading to Kupang, but we know that they're actually heading to Australia."

Ciamis Police Chief Agus Santoso said authorities would continue searching for survivors, but he feared the death toll would rise.

"We're still looking for other missing victims. Please help pray," he said.

He confirmed the vessel was heading for Australia when it sank.

"Some said they're from Iran, the others I don't know," he said.

"Their destination is going to Australia, leaving from Cilacap, but they're transiting in Kupang."

In 2001, about 140 Afghan refugees were detained on Nusakambangan after their boat, which was en route to Christmas Island, sank in rough seas.

On December 15 last year, up to 50 people died when their wooden boat was smashed into pieces on Christmas Island's rocky shoreline.

In Australia, Home Affairs Minister Brendan O'Connor said the government remained of the view that the best way to prevent asylum seeker deaths at sea was the now defunct swap agreement that had been struck with Malaysia.

The Gillard government was forced to abandon its Malaysian people swap deal because of a parliamentary impasse last month.

"This is a tragedy, something that the government foretold," Mr O'Connor said.

"We said that if we don't put in place the most effective deterrent, we would see an incline in the incidence of irregular maritime arrivals and we will most likely an incline in maritime fatalities."

But opposition immigration spokesman Scott Morrison said the actions of people smugglers were to blame for the latest loss of lives, and called for those responsible to be brought to justice.

"The hand of the law must reach them wherever they are," he said.

Australian Greens immigration spokeswoman Sarah Hanson-Young said the latest tragedy was further proof that more needed to be done to create safer pathways for asylum seekers.

"This must include taking more people directly from Indonesia and Malaysia before they set out in unseaworthy vessels," Senator Hanson-Young said.

Another boat, carrying 92 asylum seekers and two crew, was intercepted off the Australian coast on Tuesday.

It was the sixth to arrive since the federal government's deal with Malaysia failed to pass parliament.

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Your Comments

Stop rewarding law breakers

Vickie - from Sydney, 2 years ago

What business is it of the Australian government OR its people whether or not people decide to risk their lives on leaky boats? I don't see any Australians pointing guns to their heads! Stop the blame game and realise people must take responsibility for their own choices in life. Paying good money to people smugglers is not seeking asylum - it is queue jumping! Lets focus our efforts on the true asylum seekers that have no money for boats and need the most support! Stop rewarding law breakers!

Send them to UN camps

Concerned - from NSW, 2 years ago

lets face facts these people have enough money to country jump but not enough to apply to get into the country through the right channels why because ,the current government of this country are know as suckers ,we should be sending straight to UN countries that have refugee camps and only be taking a small amount of true refugees ,no one points a gun at these peoples head to get on these boats they are doing all themselves ,No one to blame but themselves , Australians first than others

asylum seekers

oncewas - from bribie island, 2 years ago

If Australia enjoys the great co-operaton of the Indonesian authorities we read about in putting an end to people smuggling, how is it that 70 people can set off in an unseaworthy boat, known by the authorities to be heading for Australia? Why was it not stopped? Why were the Australian authorities immediately notified of a boating mishap hundreds of miles away in Indonesian waters?

Would

Yousif - from Sydney, 2 years ago

Would Australia increase it's quota of legitamate refugee intake beyond 15000? No. Did Iran & Syria take more than 1 million refugees in 1 year ea as a result of the wars? Yes. Is Australia part of the forces in Iraq & Afghanistan? Yes. Are these drawn people, humans just like me & you? Yes. Are we more concerned about whales & sharks? Yes. Can sane people conclude any justice in the above? No

Bring them over

J. Lee - from Sydney, 2 years ago

I'm sick of hearing the government trying to keep the refugees and asylum seekers away, and I'm sick of seeing the people behind bars in the disgusting detention centre. Isn't this enough proof that people are actually risking their own lives to come here? I don't understand why it's so difficult to accept them - there is a reason why the refugees are leaving their country forever.

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