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How many of the 1500 asylum seeker lives lost at sea since 2001 could have been saved?
Zahra (6), Fatima (7) and Eman (9) - the daughters of Sondos Ismail and Ahmed Alzalimi -  three of the 146 children who lost their lives when the vessel that has become known as SIEVX foundered in international waters en route to Christmas Island on 19 October 2001.
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MEDIA

GOVERNMENT
Another Silence

by Marg Hutton
3 November 2003

Why wasn't the Senate Select Committee on A Certain Maritime Incident (CMI) informed that 7 months before SIEVX sank, Abu Quassey had sent a boat to Christmas Island that required rescue at sea by Australian authorities?

On 27 March 2001 AusSAR searched for a vessel stranded at sea for a week with 22 asylum seekers on board; the Department of Immigration (DIMIA) later code-named this vessel Gelantipy and in January this year the AFP reported to the Senate that Abu Quassey was the alleged organiser of this boat.

In October 2001, the People Smuggling Taskforce (PST) knew that Abu Quassey had an overloaded boat in poor condition on its way to Christmas Island. And agencies such as DIMIA and AMSA which were represented on the Taskforce, knew of his past record of leaving 22 people stranded at sea for a week.

How then can we believe that the reference in the PST minutes of 18 October 2001 to 'some risk of vessels in poor condition and rescue at sea' did not include SIEVX?

This is very reminiscent of Australian authorities' silence in regard to the DFAT cable of 23 October 2001.

 http://sievx.com/archives/2003_11-12/20031103.shtml ( 9098) | ©Copyright Marg Hutton ~ sievx.com / siev-x.com 2002-2014