21st July, 2015
Refugee advocates have called on the Australian Government to release details of a boat believed to be carrying Vietnamese asylum seekers which has been spotted off the north-west coast of Western Australia.
The boat was reportedly spotted by the crew of an oil tanker in the early hours of Monday morning. Police and the Australian Navy were both believed to be involved in the subsequent operation to find the boat. It has been suggested by some refugee advocates that children are on board.
Paul Power, CEO of the Refugee Council of Australia, said the Immigration Minister needed to release information about who is on board and where they had departed from so families in their countries of origin could be given assurances they are "safe and well".
"Shrouding the matter in secrecy by claiming this is an ‘on water matter’ is unacceptable," he said. "We don’t know how long these people have been at sea, how many people are aboard or where they have departed from. Their welfare needs to be the first consideration."
Mr Power said Australians "are not buying the government’s argument that its heavy-handed and secret military operations are appropriate responses to people who, in accordance with international law, are trying to seek asylum".
"The desperate search for effective protection from persecution is a humanitarian issue, not a threat to Australia’s national security. Australia needs to ensure that people seeking refugee protection have an opportunity to put their case, have it fairly assessed and be treated humanely throughout the process."
Earlier, the Australian Prime Minister, Tony Abbott, said it was an "iron law" of the government not to comment on operational matters which could give aid to people smugglers.
– DAVID ADAMS
