Tampa

[jaguar]

Did anyone in the good ol' US of A hear about the Tampa crisis here? How was it portrayed?
For those not in the know, you kind spirited warm hearted government (after all we are the friendly country) sent out an general SOS asking all shit within four hours to help a boatful of refugees that was sinking between Christmas island and Indonesia.

After they Tampa, a Norwegian ship, picked up over 450 they asked to land at Christmas Island to allow them to disembark. Australia said no, but said they would provide medial help those injured on board. After a few days with nothing happening the Tampa moved 4 miles off the coast of Christmas Island, the Australian government got pissed off, and sent SAS troops to take over the ship while trying to pass emergency laws to allow them to force unseaworthy ships back into international waters.

Eventually the Aust govt. struck an agreement with the governments of Nauru and NZ to process the refugees.

This altogether is in breach of human rights, refugee rights, and international marintime laws for a start. But we know how much they matter when it comes to the crunch.

From the second verse of our national anthem: "For those who come accross the seas we have boundless plains to share...."