Tragedy off the coast of Java, Indonesia

19/12/11

“The Coalition is profoundly saddened at reports of a further tragedy off the coast of Java involving an overcrowded vessel believed to be carrying asylum seekers to Australia.

The human scale of this tragedy is not yet clear, but the initial reports indicate that many lives may have been lost.

While these events did not take place in Australia's waters they are equally devastating and equally tragic. The Coalition supports all efforts necessary to support the rescue and recovery operation as may be requested by the Indonesian Government.

The report of this tragedy once again confirms our worst fears and the extremely dangerous nature of these journeys, especially at this time of year.

The large number of people reported to have been on this vessel is especially concerning and confirms the trend we have seen this year of the people smugglers putting more and more people onto every boat.”