The Oceanic Viking Saga

In this blog post I have put together a number of links which demonstrate the competing views and policy issues (and politics) at play in the stand off, which at the time of writing this post is still in progress. The Australian customs ship, the Oceanic Viking with seventy eight asylum seekers on board was diverted to and is currently moored in Indonesia. This has been called the "Indonesian solution"(to Australia's refugee problem) and would involve Australia paying Indonesia to house the asylum seekers while their visas are being processed.

The asylum seekers are refusing to leave the ship and have their applications processed in Indonesia...they want to be processed on Australian soil.

The following links are all to the ABC website - but a google search of "Oceanic Viking" will find many more:

1. This all started in around the middle of October with discussions between Australia and Indonesia as reported by the ABC;
2. Indonesia eventually agreed to take them;
3. Then the politics started;
4. and more politics;
5. defiance;
6. extention; ..... what will be next?
   

I also found the following articles interesting:

Why Are We Outsourcing To Indonesia's Corrupt Justice System? (New Matilda 30 Oct 09)

Even When They Agree With Us They're Wrong (New Matilda 26 Oct 09)

Refugee hysteria breeding Pacific Solution 2.0 (Eureka Street 15 Oct 09)

In defence of people smugglers (Eureka Street 15 Oct 09)

An interview with the Prime Minister (on Brisbane's 4BC radio station on 4 Nov 09)

Greens Still Fighting For Vulnerable Asylum Seekers (from the website of Green's Senator Hanson Young)

Dr Sharman Stone (opposition immigration spokesperson) - speech to parliament on 26 October 2009

Australia Puts Its Refugee Problem on a Remote Island, Behind Razor Wire (from NY Times 4 Nov 09)

No shipload of whites fleeing disaster would be treated like this (John Pilger in The Age November 6)

Memo Rudd: an asylum solution (Bernard Keane in Crikey on 6 November 2009)

Thanks to Roger Wong for giving permission for me to use his photograph (the one on the lower left):
http://www.flickr.com/photos/rogertwong/3018881900

Thanks to Adrienne Bartle for giving permission for me to use her photograph (the one on the upper right):
http://www.flickr.com/photos/22342927@N04/2579258289