Oceanic Viking - The Finale

6 November 2009: As the wishes of the refugees on the Oceanic Viking collide with those of the Indonesian and Australian governments, values of respect for human rights will be sorely tested.

Despite the communication blackout which has allowed only a one way message in a bottle form of communication, we know at least 35 of these people are recognised refugees.

We also know they have been warehoused in Indonesia since Howard's time under a cruel policy of deter and deny, in an effort to force them to give up and go home.

Events in Sri Lanka for Tamils have made this impossible. No way forward and no way back, with no future, just fed and watered like cattle by IOM at Australia's cost.

These people have been our responsibility long before they were rescued and taken on board the Australian Customs vessel. We have paid to warehouse them for the past few years.

We do not have the exact data becasuse the Australian government has denied access. We have this information becasue of the ingenuity of the refugees who have been messaging the world in bottles.

Now it is time for Mr Rudd to demonstrate his respect for the actions of Dietrich Bonhoeffer by acting with generous compassion to these refugeees. By his actions in defeat we will know him.

We can assist in this difficult decision-making by emailing the Prime Minister and asking him to bring the refugees to Christmas Island where their claims can be processed now.

See http://www.pm.gov.au/PM_Connect/Email_your_PM for a range of communication options - no bottles.

Pamela Curr
Campaign Coordinator
Asylum Seeker Resource Centre