News
Limited Network | February 21, 2013 12:00AM
Sri Lankan sailors
assist a Myanmar national on a stretcher off a navy ship at the southern port
of Galle, following a rescue at sea. AFP PHOTO/SRI LANKAN NAVY Source:
AFP
People smuggler jailed over boat horror
NEW Immigration Minister Brendan O'Connor says he has no
short-term way to stop asylum boats, as he digests the first horrifying loss of
life since he took the role this month.
He
said the 98 Australia-bound asylum seekers thrown overboard by shipmates as
they died one by one after weeks without food off Sri Lanka were likely not the
only victims.
The
Sri Lankan navy released shocking photographs of some of the 32 emaciated
survivors who ran out of food 21 days ago and who had been at sea for two
months.
"People
floating around, people emaciated and 100 people sounds like might have
perished. It just has to end," Mr O'Connor said.
"It
was nowhere near (Australia), I am advised it was on its way here.
"A
lot of people are just disappearing, out of sight out of mind. Boats
disappearing. It is very hard to put a number on it. Too many."
Mr
O'Connor said stopping boats would not be done quickly and that the government
would continue to work through Houston panel recommendations.
Labor
has seen more than 33,000 people arrive since its election in November 2007
when it dismantled Howard government measures, which Mr O'Connor said would
fail today.
He
said boat arrivals were a "constant pressure" for successive
governments.
"This
cannot be done overnight, it can only be done over time," he said.
"Anyone
who says they can stop the boats will have to eat a lot of words if they're
ever put into a position to have to do this."
He
blames a lack of cooperation from the Coalition, but is yet to make contact
with Opposition counterpart Scott Morrison.
Mr
O'Connor is also yet to speak with counterparts in Malaysia, Indonesia and Sri
Lanka but plans to and is focusing on building permanent camps in Nauru and
PNG.
A
migrant himself, Mr O'Connor's first memory of life in Australia was in a
Nissen hut in a migrant hostel with his Irish parents and siblings.
His
parents migrated to Australia in the late 1960s to fill a labour shortage and
Mr O'Connor said it was not "right" or "safe" for people to
come by boat.
"If
I can do anything to reduce that, I will," he said.
Mr
O'Connor rushed from East Timor to Christmas Island on the day of the 2010 boat
crash and comforted rescuers as they described seeing doomed women clinging to
their babies rather than taking ropes to save themselves.
"I
saw things I wouldn't want to see again," he said.
"If
anyone tells me it is just a line that you don't want to endanger people's
lives, it's not just a line."
