Customs can't be sure of ultimate fate of asylum boat that vanished in June

The coast of Christmas Island: the report is one of three internal reviews into fatal sinkings which were released late last Friday. Photograph: John Pryke/AAP

Bodies and debris were never recovered so authorities will never know for certain where they came from, internal review says

Helen Davidson theguardian.com December 26, 2013


The Australian Customs and Border Protection Service admits it can’t be sure of the ultimate fate of an asylum seeker vessel it was searching for in June because bodies and debris seen floating in the water off Christmas Island were never recovered, and authorities will never know for certain where they came from, an internal review into the sinking has revealed.

The review into the tragedy, which occurred in June of this year, sought to assess the actions and procedures taken by customs officers and related search and rescue agencies after a boat carrying an estimated 55 people sank, with no known survivors.

The report is one of three internal reviews into fatal asylum seeker boat sinkings which were released late last Friday afternoon.

An entire chapter of the report discusses what happened to the boat – referred to as COI 0502 – and whether it was the source of the debris and bodies.

“The review found no formal identification of the debris and bodies observed as part of SAR 2013/3821 was made by BPC or RCC,” reads one of its findings. “Therefore, the review is unable to make any definitive statement as to the origin of the debris or bodies, including the ultimate fate of COI 0502.”

Because there were no survivors, no bodies recovered, nor any distinguishable wreckage retrieved, conclusive statements about the cause of the sinking were “not possible”.

“While the review notes the possible link between the debris and COI 0502, at the time of writing this report there has been no information to indicate that COI 0502 or some other specific vessel was the source of the debris and bodies.”

A spokesman for the service told Guardian Australia the internal review was “a comprehensive report that assessed and cross-referenced all operational logs, chronologies and key information to determine what occurred during the incident. The review is a considered representation of all operational information captured during the incident.”

The asylum seeker vessel was spotted by an RAAF patrol aircraft on the afternoon of 5 June, and was not reported to be in distress, despite it being stationary and with people waving from the deck. Two customs vessels, Glenelg and Warramunga, were tasked to other operations – transferring asylum seekers to Christmas Island and destroying a previously intercepted boat, SIEV 733, respectively.

Approximately an hour later the Warramunga was directed to intercept COI 0502. The Warramunga “expedited” the destruction of the SIEV 733 but did not leave for about another five hours. By the time it reached the last known position of COI 0502 there was no sight of it or its passengers.

When news of the sinking broke, the time taken between sighting the vessel and attempting to intercept it was criticised by refugee advocates. But the review found that all customs and SAR agencies acted appropriately, including when the search for the missing vessel was escalated.

The decision not to retrieve bodies from the water was also heavily criticised at the time, as disrespectful to the deceased and their loved ones left behind.

The review found that in one instance, a body found floating near debris could not be recovered due to a lack of light and aerial support. In other mentions of bodies discovered, no reason is given, although some were spotted by the Dash 8 customs aircraft only.

Among its findings relating to the non-recovery of the bodies, the review noted a rationale of “posturing of resources for ongoing activities to prevent further loss of life”.

“It also included the practical challenges involved with recovery activities based upon the likelihood of the deceased still being afloat, the condition of the deceased, and the potential impact on mission capability.”

The report said a number of bodies were spotted when searching for survivors was still a priority, and on further consideration the likelihood the bodies were in “an advanced state of decomposition” was also taken into account.

By the time survivor searches were over, no bodies could be found.

The office of the current minister for immigration and border protection, Scott Morrison, did not respond to requests for comment.

Pope Francis In Peace Message Attacks Mega-Salaries With 'Crumbs' For Poor

Philip Pullella Huffington Post December 12, 2013 VATICAN CITY, Dec 12 (Reuters) - Pope Francis said in the first peace message of his pontificate that huge salaries and bonuses are symptoms of an economy based on greed and inequality and called again for nations to narrow the wealth gap. In his message for the Roman Catholic Church's World Day of Peace, marked around the world on Jan. 1, he also called for sharing of wealth and for nations to shrink the gap between rich and poor, more of whom are getting only ‘crumbs’. ‘The grave financial and economic crises of the present time ... have pushed man to seek satisfaction, happiness and security in consumption and earnings out of all proportion to the principles of a sound economy,’ he said. ‘The succession of economic crises should lead to a timely rethinking of our models of economic development and to a change in lifestyles,’ he said. Francis, who was named Time magazine's Person of the Year on Wednesday, has urged his own Church to be more fair, frugal and less pompous and to be closer to the poor and suffering. His message will be sent to national leaders, international organisations such as the United Nations, and NGO's. Titled ‘Fraternity, the Foundation and Pathway to Peace’, the message also attacked injustice, human trafficking, organised crime and the weapons trade as obstacles to peace. Anger at multi-million payouts for executives has swept across the globe as the economic crisis has deepened and the gap between the super-rich and the poor has widened. But last month, Swiss voters rejected a proposal to cap the salaries of top executives at 12 times that of a company's lowest wage, heeding warnings from industry leaders that the measure could harm the country's economy. CRUMBS Francis said many places in the world were seeing a ‘serious rise’ in inequality between people living side by side. He attacked the ‘widening gap between those who have more and those who must be content with the crumbs’, calling on governments to implement ‘effective policies’ to guarantee people's fundamental rights, including access to capital, services, educational resources, healthcare and technology. The new pope's style is characterised by frugality. He shunned the spacious papal apartment in the Vatican's Apostolic Palace to live in a small suite in a Vatican guest house, and he prefers a Ford Focus to the traditional pope's Mercedes. A champion of the downtrodden, he visited the island of Lampedusa in southern Italy in July to pay tribute to hundreds of migrants who had died crossing the sea from North Africa. Last month, in a document seen as a manifesto of his papacy, he attacked unfettered capitalism as ‘a new tyranny’. Since his election in March as the first non-European pope in 1,300 years, the Argentinian has several times condemned the ‘idolatry of money’ and said it was a depressing sign of the times that a homeless person dying of exposure on the street was no longer news but a slight fall in the stock market is. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/12/12/pope-attacks-mega-salarie_n_4431701.html

Why Indigenous Australians need a properly funded NDIS

Anna Stephens and India Bohanna The Conversation December 18, 2013 People living in the remote communities face system failures in health care, disability services, housing and infrastructure. Flickr/publik The National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) presents an overwhelming opportunity to revolutionise the care and support given to Indigenous people. But the equity of the scheme is already at risk, with treasurer Joe Hockey yesterday warning the scheme will have to be made more efficient. Our research for the NDIS this year revealed that people living in the remote communities face a complex web of system failures spanning health care, disability services, housing and infrastructure. Without political will and bi-partisan commitment from all tiers of government to address the chronic gaps in infrastructure and health-care delivery, the NDIS scheme can’t deliver on its promises in very remote Indigenous communities. Current shortcomings We investigated acquired brain injury (ABI) within Indigenous populations. Talking with people living on Cape York and in the Northern Territory, we were shocked by the low level of understanding of the ABI condition – by carers in remote communities, through to highly qualified medical practitioners. We found no reliable, culturally appropriate instruments to measure and assess the extent of one’s impairment, without which eligibility for the NDIS would be difficult to establish. This could prevent thousands from benefiting from the scheme. The 2010 National Prisoner Health census found 41% of female and 38% of male prison entrants reported having sustained at least one head injury that led to loss of consciousness. Knowing that Indigenous people are over-represented in the prison population, many live with an ABI……….. The success of the NDIS will surely be measured by how the reforms benefit Indigenous people with disabilities: Australia’s most in need. Without political will and adequate investment in communities, people with disabilities will be required to leave their homes to spend their support package; or miss out entirely. Read more http://theconversation.com/why-indigenous-australians-need-a-properly-funded-ndis-20214?utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Latest+from+The+Conversation+for+19+December+2013&utm_content=Latest+from+The+Conversation+for+19+December+2013+CID_f8e5d7fa8c7b66976127207a8c462398&utm_source=campaign_monitor&utm_term=Why%20Indigenous%20Australians%20need%20a%20properly%20funded%20NDIS

Tony Abbott must reveal his social vision for our country

Matt Noffs The Brisbane Times December 14, 2013 ‘During Abbott's election campaign he said he wanted to be the ‘infrastructure prime minister’. But what is his view on our social infrastructure?’ Photo: Andrew Meares The Abbott government's unexpected termination of all funding to Australia's only national drug and alcohol body late last month has left the drug and alcohol treatment and prevention sector with many lingering questions. Perhaps the most important question is this: what is our social vision for Australia? Of course, with any new government, it is expected there will be reviews and changes made in line with its members' vision and pledges. Plus, having to reduce a deficit is a harsh reality for many leaders. But all we are getting are pithy one-line slogans and no plan for creating a prosperous future. Besides the absence of a clearly articulated social vision, the government's ruthless focus on the bottom line overlooks a fundamental economic principle: that there is no surer way to create national prosperity than to create social prosperity. Without a strong foundation in our community, our physical infrastructure plans are flawed. During Tony Abbott's election campaign, he said he wanted to be the ‘infrastructure prime minister’. But what is his view on our social infrastructure? To begin chopping away at core community functions is essentially chipping away at the very thing that makes Australia the richest country on earth………. The decision will cause those below the margin to suffer and will create something worse than balance sheet debt - it will increase crime and decrease our community security. There is no greater economic disadvantage than social disadvantage and, ultimately, a more peaceful and free community is a wealthier one……. Read more: http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/comment/tony-abbott-must-reveal-his-social-vision-for-our-country-20131213-2zc1f.html#ixzz2nOYz7HQj

Religious women link up to fight human trafficking

A nun reads through an anti-trafficking leaftlet handed out to Typhoon Haiyan survivors at the Philippine Air Force Base in Pasay City, Philippines, beginning Nov. 16. (Courtesy of Inter-agency Council Against Trafficking) N.J. Viehland National Catholic Reporter December 12, 2013 Tagaytay City, Philippines A formidable multi-billion-dollar human-trafficking industry has driven Catholic religious women to collaborate among themselves and with other sectors of society to stop what Pope Francis has called ‘the most extensive form of slavery of the 21st century.’ Since International Union of Superiors General (UISG) was established in 2009, Talitha Kum (‘Little girl, arise’), the anti-trafficking network of women religious, has developed a program of activities banking on partnerships established by the UISG central office in Rome as well as a network of local anti-trafficking teams. Talitha Kum has also linked up with government, professional, faith-based and other organizations, said Sr. Estrella Castalone, its coordinator, at a recent Asia-Oceania conference of women religious in Tagaytay City, south of Manila. In her presentation ahead of Thursday's International Day against Trafficking, Castalone said, ‘My dearest sisters ... We know that this slavery has a feminine face. It behooves us, women religious, to join hands and put a stop to it. Talitha Kum takes this commitment and we enjoin you to support us, individually or as a congregation.’….. Read More Or paste this link into your browser: http://ncronline.org/node/66101

Abbott in hot water over condoning torture in Sri Lanka

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 26 November 2013, 02:42 GMT] Leading rights groups, Human Rights Watch, the Human Rights Law Centre, Amnesty International Australia, Australian Lawyers for Human Rights, and the Castan Centre for Human Rights, called for a retraction of remarks on torture in Sri Lanka made by Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott November 15, 2013. Abbot had said that while his government "deplores the use of torture we accept that sometimes in difficult circumstances difficult things happen." Rights Groups' letter to Abbott Elaine Pearson, Australia director of Amnesty responded: “Torture is always illegal and immoral, and there is no exception for ‘difficult circumstances.’” Abbott’s remarks give cover to torturers in Sri Lanka and elsewhere, and he should retract them immediately.” Tony Abbott, Australian Prime Minister The rights group, in a joint letter to the Australian Prime Minister, wrote: "Torture is immoral and illegal. The right to be free from such mistreatment is among the most fundamental and unequivocal human rights. Torture prohibited under both Australian Law and international law treaties to which Australia is a party. Australia is also a state party to the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court, which includes torture among grave crimes in violation of international law. The letter further said, "In relation to Sri Lanka, your statement wrongly suggested that torture was confined to the country's [Sri Lanka's] three-decade long conflict. However, there is considerable evidence that torture by Sri Lankan state offifcials has continued beyond the end of the civil war in May 2009. Human Rights Watch has documented at least 50 cases of rape and sexual violence, accompanied by other forms of torture and cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment by Sri Lanka's security forces against persons in custody since the conflict's end...." The letter concluded, "We urge you to make a strong public statement that the Australian government always deplores the use of torture, which cannot be justified in any circumstances." -- Fr Pan Jordan OP Pax Christi Queensland Co-ordinator PO Box 305 Carina Qld. 4152 0415 461 620

Sri Lanka’s Potemkin Peace: Democracy Under Fire

INTERNATIONAL CRISIS GROUP - NEW REPORT Colombo/Brussels, 13 November 2013: Despite recent moves meant to show progress towards post-war reconciliation and respect for human rights, Sri Lanka's government has not altered the authoritarian direction of its policies, and the rights and security of all communities remain under threat. In its latest report, Sri Lanka's Potemkin Peace: Democracy Under Fire, the International Crisis Group examines challenges facing the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) following its landslide victory in Sri Lanka's north, the central government's hostility to devolution, and the ever-shrinking democratic space nationwide. The Colombo government's attempts to mask its growing authoritarianism as it hosts this month's Commonwealth summit appear increasingly flimsy. The report's major findings and recommendations are: The long-awaited northern province elections were a success, but to go forward the TNA-controlled council needs both Colombo's cooperation and financial, technical and political support from the international community. Influential governments, including India and other Commonwealth members as well as the U.S., should make clear to Colombo that diplomatic pressure will intensify if it pushes through constitutional changes that weaken or eliminate provincial councils. Militant Buddhist attacks on mosques and Muslim businesses have continued with tacit government support, while violence against Christian churches and worshippers appears to be on the rise. There have been no serious government efforts to prevent or punish attacks. Participants in the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) this week in Colombo should press the government to address human rights abuses, prevent attacks on religious minorities and restore judicial independence. Legal and administrative moves responding to the government's Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission and the UN Human Rights Council's March resolution have not restored judicial or police independence, curbed militarisation or ensured accountability for war crimes in the conflict that ended in 2009. If the government cannot show progress by March 2014, when the UN Human Rights Council next meets, members should design an international mechanism to investigate the many allegations of violations of international law by both sides in the civil war and to monitor continuing human rights violations and attacks on the rule of law. “The government's policies badly damage rule of law and democracy, undermine the rights of Tamils, Muslims and Sinhalese alike and render all citizens insecure”, says Alan Keenan, Sri Lanka Project Director. “If it continues to close avenues of peaceful change, the risks of violent reaction will grow”. “The small window of opportunity that exists in the northern province shows that sustained and focused international pressure can work”, says Jim Della-Giacoma, Asia Program Director. “With opposition parties and civil society weakened by years of government intimidation, international pressure on Sri Lankan leaders is essential to preserve the remaining space for democratic dissent, prevent regression on ethnic issues and restrain growing authoritarianism”.

Commonwealth ultimatum to Sri Lanka: Clarify war crimes

http://www.asianews.it/news-en/Commonwealth-ultimatum-to-Sri-Lanka:-Clarify-war-crimes-29575.html11/18/2013 14:11 Colombo ( AsiaNews) - Clarify once and for all the government's role in the crimes committed during the civil war in Sri Lanka , or the international community will take action . This is the ultimatum set by the leaders of the Commonwealth after the meeting which ended yesterday in Colombo . On paper, the representatives of these countries signed a joint agreement on issues such as poverty and development. In practice, however, the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting ( CHOGM ) turned into a debate on human rights violations committed by President Mahinda Rajapaksa and his executive . The most explicit was the British prime minister David Cameron, who set Rajapaksa a precise deadline - March 2014 - within which he must show progress in post-conflict reconciliation. Beyond that date, specified the British prime minister, the United Kingdom will bring the matter to the attention of the UN. Rajapaksa responded in kind to the charges leveled against his government , in particular those according to which the armed forces killed more than 40 thousand civilians in 2009, at the end of thirty years of ethnic conflict. "You can not tell me - said the President of Sri Lanka - to do something tomorrow, in a week or in three months. That is highly unfair. We have a legal system and a constitution. A [ rehabilitation ] process has already started . It will take time. "

Indigenous health: is the Intervention working?

Latest figures give cause for hope, but the Territory still has the highest Indigenous mortality rates in Australia. The solution is to lift people out of poverty Debra Jopson guardian.co.uk, June 5, 2013 ‘Stabilise, normalise, exit.’ That’s how the Army officer turned Indigenous affairs minister Mal Brough summarised his government’s response to the emergency which it declared in Australia’s Northern Territory six years ago. There has been no exit. The emergency response which put soldiers’ boots on the ground in remote communities as the nation reeled from revelations about Indigenous child abuse and violence against women in the Territory has morphed into the Intervention, run by civilians. It has shifted its focus to more broadly addressing Aboriginal disadvantage in ways that Canberra sees fit - which do not always coincide with local Indigenous aspirations for self-governance and service delivery. Jody Broun, a Yindjibarndi woman from Western Australia who co-chairs the Close the Gap Coalition, says that the message indigenous people got at the start of the Intervention was this:’We’re coming to take your children; all your men are sexual predators and offenders.’ But as we approach the Intervention’s June 21 anniversary, the Territory is the star performer in one of the most important Indicators of relief from the burden of disadvantage. It has made a difference to this one sad statistic: Aborigines have a significantly higher mortality rate than other Australians, particularly in the Territory…… The image of the Army thundering into the communities of the Red Heart raising dust in troop-carriers as the Intervention began was one of Canberra taking control. ’And they removed responsibility from people’s lives,’ says Broun. But in Indigenous affairs, there is one more thing that policy-makers often forget. ’For Aboriginal people, the culture is central,’ she says. It seems they just don’t want to be ‘normalised.’ As Rosalie Kunoth-Monks, star of the 1950s movie Jedda and an anti-Intervention activist has said: ‘If we lose our identity, we lose our culture. We become a carbon copy of [a] mainstream Australian. We become a nothing.’ Read more http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2013/jun/05/indigenous-health-survey-intervention