Prime Minister Tony Abbott at North Melbourne’s Grand Final breakfast. Source: News Limited
TONY Abbott’s first visit to Indonesia is set to be overshadowed by his government’s first asylum seeker tragedy.
The new Prime Minister is leaving for high-level talks in Jakarta on Monday amid controversy over his boats media blackout, the government was scrambling to defend its handling of the rescue after claims it did not respond to initial distress calls for 26 hours.
Members of a grieving family claimed they were “very angry” after losing two women, one of them pregnant, and 11 children in the capsizing.
As Lebanese media reported, one of the female passengers was travelling to meet her groom in Australia.
Melbourne man Ali Taleb revealed his pain over the loss of his two sisters and 11 related children but declined to comment further as he was too upset.
“We are still very angry at the death so I don’t want to comment much,’’ Mr Taleb told News Corp Australia.
“But one of my sisters was pregnant, with an unborn baby as well as the 11 children on the boat.’’
Indonesian rescue efforts were losing hope last night as another 30 to 50 asylum seekers were feared drowned from the boat that capsized on Thursday off Indonesia.
A total of 28 survived but about 22, mostly children, have been confirmed as drowned.
The tragedy has rocked Lebanese communities in Melbourne and Sydney where relatives of those on-board had been awaiting their arrival, according to Victorian Lebanese Community Council head Michael Kheirallah.
“There are at least five or six families affected by this tragedy, the majority in Melbourne as well as some in Sydney,’’ he said.
“A lot of families in the north are disadvantaged and can’t find a job so they become very desperate in this situation because all of the attention has gone to the Syrian refugees and it’s not safe.’’
Asked why they had decided to take the risk given the current tougher border protection regime, he said: “I don’t think they got the message, and they are pretty desperate anyway.”
As the Greens called for an inquiry into the incident, some survivors have claimed they placed more than 10 calls to Australian authorities to alert them that the boat was sinking.
“The government cannot be allowed to use its media blackout to cover up the role of Australian authorities in this tragedy,” Refugee Action Coalition spokesman Ian Rintoul said.
But the government has distanced itself from the rescue effort, noting the boat went down in Indonesian waters.
Tony Abbott at North Melbourne’s Grand Final breakfast. Source: News Limited
“Suggestions Australian authorities did not respond to this incident appropriately are absolutely and totally wrong,” he said.
“The government completely rejects allegations of a 26 hour delay in response to this tragic incident by Australian agencies.”
Mr Abbott and Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono are expected to hold talks on Monday, with asylum-seeker policy expected to be at the top of the agenda.
The crucial moment is expected to come when Mr Abbott discusses the issue in formal talks with Indonesia’s President after he is given a ceremonial welcome and 19-gun salute.
Mr Abbott has recruited 20 of the biggest names in business including Visy chief Anthony Pratt and Telstra chair Catherine Livingstone to travel with him on his high-stakes visit.
Three bank bosses including ANZ’s Mike Smith, the Commonwealth’s Ian Narev and Nicholas Moore from Macquarie and top mining, construction, agriculture and health care company leaders will also be on the trip.
