Fed: Change of policy prompted boat people intimidation
By Max Blenkin
CANBERRA, April 5 AAP - The government's tough line on asylum seekers led to the navybearing the brunt of a rising tide of confrontation and intimidation by boat people, thechildren overboard inquiry heard today.
In a memo tabled in the inquiry, Maritime Commander Rear Admiral Geoff Smith said therewere no problems before the change of policy which prompted the MV Tampa standoff in Septemberlast year.
Admiral Smith said previous policy was to intercept the SIEVs (suspect illegal entryvessels) and escort them to Ashmore Reef or the mainland for immigration and Customs processing.
"The response to SIEVs as part of Op Relex has been to intercept, board and returnthe SIEV to Indonesia or transport the potential illegal immigrants (PIIs) to PacificIslands for processing," he said in the minute dated February 21.
"This change has proven to be confrontational and resulted in the numerous hostilethreats and violent actions taken by the PIIs during Op Relex that had not previouslytaken place."
In his evidence today, Admiral Smith said the asylum seekers resorted to a repeatedpattern of threats, intimidation and sabotage in a bid to ensure they were taken to Australia.
He said moral blackmail would not be too strong a term to describe the conduct of thoseon the 12 boats which reached Australian waters between September 7 and December 16 lastyear.
Questioned by Liberal Senator George Brandis, Admiral Smith said he had no doubt therewas a repeated pattern of instances where asylum seekers threatened to throw their childrenoverboard when intercepted by Australian navy vessels.
"I have no doubt that that was the pattern of behaviour and that was the purpose of it," he said.
Admiral Smith said he had considered 1,500-1,700 signals and other reports concerningthe 12 SIEV arrivals and compiled a document detailing incidents of intimidation, threats,offensive behaviour, threats of suicide, sabotage and hunger strikes in the various SIEVarrivals.
"Our experience throughout the course of Operation Relex, all 12 of the SIEVs, indicateda range of behaviour designed to intimidate the sailors, designed to appeal to our culturaland moral values," he said.
"It was all designed in my view to place pressure on those people who were trying todo their job with the objective of the UAs (unlawful arrivals) achieving their objectivewhich was to get us to back off."
Australian Democrats committee member Andrew Bartlett said Admiral Smith's evidenceshowed government policy had put children at risk.
Senator Bartlett said 2,200 people, including 400 children, were aboard the 12 SIEVsand there was just one incident in which a child was dropped overboard but promptly rescuedby another asylum seeker.
"By far the biggest threat to the safety of children is the government's policy whichprevents the navy from being able to get the people off the unsafe boats and onto land,"
he said in a statement.
AAP mb/daw/cjh/sb
KEYWORD: BOAT NIGHTLEAD
No comments:
Post a Comment