Are the Australian Navy shooting at people? That might work

[donnashuggy]

http://www.smh.com.au/federal-politics/political-news/australia-turns-back-asylum-seeker-boat-from-i...

Indonesian authorities have quoted the asylum seekers on board saying Australian navy personnel fired shots as part of the operation to turn around the boat carrying 25 people.

Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/federal-politics/political-news/australia-turns-back-asylum-seeker-boat-from-i...

[colic2bullsgirlore]

and.. everything old is new again....

2003... but still a worthy read. History sometimes is the future's best predictor

https://www.google.com.au/#q=indonesian+fishing+boats+shot+at+by+australian+navy

The timing of these events was unfortunate for Australian Fisheries, coming right at the moment of what was supposed to be a public-relations coup. Operation Clearwater, the biggest crackdown on illegal fishing in Australia's northern seas, an 11-day blitz that netted 29 boats and more than 240 unlicensed Indonesian fishermen, had just wrapped up.

It garnered a fanfare in the press, and culminated in an announcement by the Howard government in early 2005 that a further $91.4 million would be allocated to the fight against illegal fishing in Australia's northern waters. A year later, the figure was increased to $389 million.

The message was clear: now that the number of asylum seekers arriving by boat had been reduced to a trickle, the new era in border protection was about illegal fishing. The  perahu was now the primary threat to Australia's territorial sovereignty.

Donald Rothwell, a professor of International Law at the Australian National University, believes that one of the reasons that Australia has been able to get away with its treatment of Indonesian fishermen is that the Indonesian government has taken such a mild approach to the issue.

To date, the Australian government has been able to feel reasonably confident that it can pursue an aggressive approach towards the fishermen - in the apprehension process, in detention and in the courts, in the summary burning of their boats (365 were burned in 2006), and now in firing on them and detaining them without charge at sea - without fear of criticism or complaint from its neighbour.

According to Rothwell, legal academics find it incredible that Australia has had such a free rein.

Rachel Baird, a lecturer in the law school at the University of Queensland, believes that the fact that Indonesia does not accept the jurisdiction of the International Court of Justice or the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea may have lulled the Australian government into a false sense of legitimacy.

[i-need-a-martini · Accepted solution]

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@poddster wrote:

It is so predictable that people jump to conclusions that they want to believe without doubting the originating source.

Has it not occurred to anyone that it is in the interest of a failed unlawful entrant to falsely claim that shots were fired?

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What possible justification could there possibly be for a large ship to fire shots to scare a bunch of defenceless people in a small rickety boat? That boat had many women and children including a 1 year old.

And to make matters worse, the boat never made it back to Indonesian shores in one piece leaving Indonesian villagers to save people in the water. We are just lucky that none have drowned so far. But how long will our luck last?

[poddster]

Was that an accusation by people fishing illegally?

Par for the course

Like I said in my previous post.

People jump to the conclusion they want, without checking facts.

[poddster]

Martini, who said shots were fired?

Was it a credible source?

[donnashuggy]

We have a problem in this country poddy, we can't rely on the government to tell us, read all the articles posted about, there has to be some truth in it, fairfax must have a lot of reporters out there as the boat was found on a beach. They can't all possibly be lying.

[poddster]

So in the absence of credible information is it ok to fabricate unsubstantiated rumour ?

[i-need-a-martini · Accepted solution]

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@poddster wrote:

Martini, who said shots were fired?

Was it a credible source?

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We only have the word of the Indonesian police and those on board the boat.

And quite frankly I trust that the information from them is more reliable than from our own government at the moment.

I note also that there has been no denial from our own authorities.

[debra9275]

OMG I hope they aren't firing 

but it they are, that explains why Scott Morrison has been hidng from the media even more so than usual over the past couple of weeks

[poddster]

Martini you must be a very trusting person, perhaps overly so.

Even Donna is more guarded and non committal in her statements, have you not noticed that all the seeds of discontent she sows are in the form of questions?

[donnashuggy]

He is being coached on how to speak to the media. It's dreadful.