You can die at sea, asylum-seeker warns Tamils

A Sri Lankan asylum-seeker says his countrymen must learn that the long journey across the Indian Oceanis perilous.

 

 

Since November last year, 17 Sri Lankans, including teenage brothers aged 13 and 14, have died in two separate incidents trying to reach Christmas Island.

 

 

The survivors of the most recent tragedy, mainly Tamils, are in detention on Christmas Island, where they say they did not know help was coming when five of their fellow passengers jumped overboard in a doomed attempt to swim to land.

 

 

Pararasasingam Paheertharan, who survived when 12 of his fellow passengers drowned off the Cocos (Keeling) Islandslast November, told The Australian it was important to publicise the dangers of the long journey.

 

 

“I think we have to express this terrible voyage to all the media,” he said.

 

 

The remaining 59 Sri Lankans on the boat from which the five attempted their fatal swim to land have been flown to Christmas Island, where they are being interviewed by immigration officials. The boat had run out of fuel, water and food, and its passengers were rescued by a passing tanker and brought to Christmas Islandon Monday.

 

 

“We are clearly aware this group has recently endured a traumatic experience,” a department spokesman said.

 

 

“Appropriate medical treatment and mental health support, including trauma counselling, will be available.”

 

 

Australian Federal Police are investigating the incident.

 

 

Bala Vigneswaran, of the Australian Tamil Congress, said the fact the boat had been monitored but not rescued was confusing.

 

 

He said it seemed very different to his experience of Australian rescue authorities in February, when they acted swiftly to help 49 Sri Lankans who had run out of diesel and food while trying to reach Christmas Island.

 

 

Mr. Vigneswaran said on that occasion he received a surprise phone call from a satellite phone - the callers were Sri Lankan men who had been given his number by a member of the Australian Sri Lankan community.

 

 

“They said ‘Uncle, we are in trouble. We are out of diesel, we have no food’,” Mr. Vigneswaran said.

 

 

He telephoned the Australian Maritime Safety Authority and Border Protection Command, passing on the co-ordinates the men on the boat had given him from their GPS.

 

 

“They were very nice, very helpful,” he said. “I think the boat must have been a few hundred kilometres from Christmas Island . . . I looked on the internet the next day and the boat had been rescued.” – (The Australian)