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Australian Boat Tragedy: Let’s Blame The Navy

by | 16th, December 2010

CAN the Australians be blamed for the deaths of 28 mainly Iranian and Iraqi asylum-seekers who died when their boat from Indonesia foundered on rocks off Flying Fish Cove , Christmas Island? Or should the regimes they flee be examined and the people smugglers who profit from pain?

The Independent knows. It leads with:

“Australia’s hardline refugee policy was blamed for the deaths of at least 27 asylum-seekers whose boat was dashed on rocks…”

But wouldn’t a looser policy encourage more people to try to reach Oz by boat? And wouldn’t that lead to move deaths?

In an alternative world we may praise the Australian Navy whose personnel put their own lives on the line to save 41 people from “waters so rough that volunteers standing on the 100ft cliffs were soaked in ocean spray”.

The Indy is not alone is hitting the softer target and leaving the Iranians and Indonesians out of it. David Marr blames the navy:

The first question that must be asked is why the navy – if it was within the navy’s power – why the navy allowed that boat anywhere near the island. It should not have been there.

That’s his first question. Yours might be: “Are you alright?”; “Who owned the boat?”;  or “Why didn’t the people on board have life jackets?”

One Christmas Island resident saw it:

“The people smugglers are pure evil sending people out in near cyclonic conditions like this. I hope they get serious about cracking down on the people smugglers.”

australian-navy

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Posted: 16th, December 2010 | In: Reviews Comment | TrackBack | Permalink