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Apr. 17th, 2009 07:15 amOh gods, this is awful. Boat carrying asylum seekers explodes and sinks. Asylum seekers (almost certainly genuine refugees, if past experience is any guide) were killed and seriously injured; some Australian sailors were injured, too.
When you read and hear rumours about exactly what happened, keep in mind the Children Overboard lies, and wait for hard evidence. (If WA Premier Colin Barnett's insistence that the asylum seekers deliberately caused the explosion is false, he should resign.)
The Opposition of course claims that the tragedy is the result of not mistreating refugees in order to illegally dissuade them from attempting the trip. Presumably this is because it's much easier to get hold of and torment people fleeing for their lives than it is to get hold of and punish people smugglers who use overcrowded, unsafe vessels.
When you read and hear rumours about exactly what happened, keep in mind the Children Overboard lies, and wait for hard evidence. (If WA Premier Colin Barnett's insistence that the asylum seekers deliberately caused the explosion is false, he should resign.)
The Opposition of course claims that the tragedy is the result of not mistreating refugees in order to illegally dissuade them from attempting the trip. Presumably this is because it's much easier to get hold of and torment people fleeing for their lives than it is to get hold of and punish people smugglers who use overcrowded, unsafe vessels.
