Stephen Smith (Perth, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Hansard source

As I made clear on radio this morning, it is very, very important in my view that we take allegations and suggestions like that very carefully and in an appropriate, methodical process.

Let us be very clear about the circumstances of this case. Calls were made to Australian search and rescue authorities indicating that a vessel was in distress. The vessel in distress was in the Indonesian search and rescue area. As a consequence of that, I am advised that Australian officials contacted the relevant Indonesian search and rescue maritime authorities to indicate that a vessel was distressed in an area that was the responsibility of Indonesia. I am also advised that Indonesian officials indicated to Australian officials that they had no vessels in the vicinity and asked if Australia could help. Australian officials then contacted commercial shipping assets to see whether commercial assets were in the area, and when that inquiry indicated that no commercial assets were in the area the Armidale was sent to the vessel in distress.

I am advised two things occurred when the Armidale made contact with the vessel. One was that a young child on board was ill and may well have required medical attention. Secondly, a conclusion was made that the vessel was not able to go to port under its own steam. As a consequence the people on board, for humanitarian and for safety-at-sea obligations, were transferred to the Oceanic Viking. This was done at the request of the Indonesian search and rescue authorities and with the Indonesian search and rescue authorities being the lead agency.

The suggestion that somehow the vessel was in distress was, as I said, first drawn to my attention when it appeared on the front page of today’s Australian, for a very good reason. The obligation and the requirement on the part of the Australian government, its officials and its agencies, and the obligation on Australia, is to discharge our humanitarian and our search and rescue operations on the high seas. That is in the interests of Australia and in the interests of Australian citizens and that was done. When the suggestion was made that the vessel in distress may have been the subject of distress because of action by those on board—and I might say that the only thing I have seen so far is the Australian newspaper, which cites ‘sources’ that are not identified at all—

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