If the Tampa hadn't picked them up, we would have another 400+ illegal aliens to do something with. They were definitely coming to Australian soil.

Perhaps I was confused, then. I was under the impression they sank going from somewhere to Indonesia.

We deny lots of people entry before they get here. We've even turned whole boatloads away before. Why not this lot?

We're not leaving them out there to rot. We're giving them food, water and medical aid.

That's.. leaving them out there to rot. The medical care is arguable, but I don't know that its lacking.

If the owner of the ship wants to complain about us turning their cargo ship into a passenger ship, I'm sure we will have great delight in pointing this out.

So in other words, after being (directed to be) a Good Samaritan, its not Your Problem. Well, sometimes things *become* a problem.

It's a Norwegian ship. They are a victim of circumstance. If it was a Dutch ship, or a Brazillian ship, or whatever, we'd have a different country involved.

I still don't see where that has anything to do with Norway, proper, unless you're saying they should sail 1/2 way around the world with people lashed to the deck and deliver them to Norway. Norway's not involved in this.

The captain was told not to enter Australian waters. He had no reason to enter Australian waters - he claimed the refugees threatened to jump overboard again if he did not.

You're skipping, slightly. AU directed him to a sinking ship, with far more people than he can expect to deal with. Now that he's in that situation, nobody will assist *him*.

Note, too, the duplicity of Indonesia. The failing boat they were picked up from was indisputably Indonesian. The Tampa's next port of call was in Indonesia.

I'll have to see what I can find out about the location of the sinking. So it was closer to Indonesia than Australia?

Yet Indonesia refuses to discuss the matter with Australia, and has put warships out to prevent the Tampa from docking. Why are we the big ogre? Indonesia must have some responsibility here and they are refusing all of it.

I can agree with that they should also be willing to take some - but right *now* the boat is off the AU shore.

I'd also comment on how the captain probably expected to get a more civilized, humanitarian response from Australia, rather than Indonesia, for the problem that HE now has.

So the next time a boat is sinking off the AU coast, and all the passing ships are having radio problems... what do you say to them, that they are monsters?

Addison