CANBERRA (Reuters) - Australia insisted on Thursday it could legally force a cargo ship overflowing with boatpeople out of its territorial waters and refused to bow to growing international pressure to show compassion.
Australian troops boarded the Norwegian freighter carrying more than 400 asylum seekers, after it defied government orders and steamed into Australian territorial waters on Wednesday as Australia, Indonesia and Norway bickered over who was responsible for its human cargo.(Read photo caption below)
Prime Minister John Howard failed to get an emergency bill through parliament late Wednesday to toughen up Australian laws to eject unauthorized vessels, but was resolute that Australia still had the legal clout to expel the ship, the Tampa.
Howard refused to foreshadow Australia's next move but stood firmly by his view that it was not Australia's responsibility to accept the boat people who were rescued by the Tampa from a sinking Indonesian ferry in international waters five days ago.
As well as 434 asylum seekers the Tampa also picked up four Indonesian crew and while the ferry was in international waters it was within Indonesia's search-and-rescue area of responsibility.
Howard has demanded the ship return to international waters and take the asylum seekers back to Indonesia -- but Jakarta has refused to accept the unwanted immigrants, renewing tensions between the neighboring nations.
Norway has also rejected responsibility for the asylum seekers aboard its flag-carrying vessel and reported Australia to the United Nations bodies responsible for shipping and refugees for its handling of a humanitarian problem.
IGNORE CALLS FOR COMPASSION
Howard has shrugged off international calls for Australia to show compassion for the Afghani, Pakistani, and Sri Lankan boatpeople, to signal his government's determination to crack down on a rising wave of asylum seekers.
Immigration Minister Philip Ruddock hinted the ship may be forcibly removed from Australian waters by the Special Air Services (SAS) personnel on board if it did not respond to requests to leave under its own volition.
A company spokesman said the captain remained in control of the ship and was refusing to move.
The captain decided to defy orders and move on Wednesday as conditions started to deteriorate on the ship which is designed to accommodate up to 40 people.
But Howard refuted the captain's decision to move into Australian waters because of health concerns.
He said an Australian defense force doctor found four cases of dehydration, eight to 10 sprains, and one soft fracture.
``None of those required medical evacuation,'' Howard said. ''The very basis that was telegraphed around the world for what the captain did, in other words the health emergency, was demonstrated...not to be correct.''
PHOTO CAPTION:
Australian troops power towards the Norwegian freighter 'Tampa,' which sailed into Australian waters with illegal immigrants aboard, off the coast of Christmas Island August 29, 2001. Crack Australian troops seized control of the freighter crammed with sick and exhausted asylum seekers after the ship's captain steered the vessel into Australian waters. A defiant Australian Prime Minister said the move signaled his government's determination to crack down on a wave of asylum seekers of mostly Middle East origin, but it triggered condemnation of a country that was built on immigration. (Jason Reed/Reuters)