4.11.09: A few days ago 11 Sri Lankan Tamils drowned in the Indian Ocean

No accusations or allegations, just questions

• Why did the Taiwanese Fishing boat FV KUAMG which arrived on the scene at 4.11pm not take the passengers off the Sri Lankan boat which was in distress and taking water?
• Was the KUAMG too small to take 40 people?
• Did the Captain of the vessel not wish to waste time with passengers?
• Did he think the Australian government would refuse to take them and he would get stuck with them ?

So no-one rescued the people until 11.15pm when it was dark and the boat had sunk.

The distress call was received on Sunday at 7.10am. The RAAF Orion Patrol plane was dispatched on Monday at 1.30pm — 30 hours later.

This boat was in our Search and rescue zone.

• When was the boat first sighted?
• Why are asylum seekers left on failing boats instead of being transferred onto safe boats?

This has happened before and is a cause of death.

• Why are asylum seekers rescued at the last possible moment? It would not happen to millionaire yachties — who usually do not reimburse the authorities who rescue them..

In the Meditteranean refugee boats are regularly ignored even in extreme distress.

It would be a moral tragedy if this approach was adopted off Australian shores.

We need answers