FOUR ASYLUM SEEKING CHINESE MEN
Hi
As mentioned in the previous post we have had numerous interactions with Illegal Foreign Fishing Vessels (IFFV) over recent times. Concerningly, this has continued. The last few months have seen a definite spike in this activity.
On 10 November we headed out to continue our marine research and observed an IFFV in Somerville Bay, northern Croker Island. This was reported to the Australian Border Force (ABF). As we have been instructed not to approach these vessels we followed at a safe distance. The ABF subsequently advised that they would not have a patrol boat in our area for 36 hours so we had to depart the area and let the IFFV slip away. The photo below shows this IFFV a little after we first saw it (photo taken with a zoom lens).
Later that night two Chinese nationals were delivered to our research camp by local Croker Island residents. They spoke very limited English so we had to communicating by translation apps, which worked fine. We discovered that the boat we had seen earlier that day, had just before we saw it, dropped these people off on a very small island just off the north west part of Croker Island with no food or water. We are currently in the build up season in the Top End. This is the most demanding part of our year here with high temps and even higher humidity. These two men were quite dehydrated and hungry and were very happy to receive some refreshments. They also had sore feet from walking bare foot all day.
The ABF could provide no guidance to us on what to do them so we provided our 'guests' with a tent and mattresses and they were soon asleep. We posted a watch to keep an eye on these men as they slept however they showed no sign of wanting to leave our company or make any trouble. In fact they were very polite, respectful and appreciative.
In the morning our 'conversation' with them continued via the apps. From this we learned that there were another two Chinese somewhere on Croker Island. These men also had no water or food with them. It had now been a little over a day since they were put ashore and we were in for another hot day. Working out where they came ashore proved challenging as they continued to state that they came ashore on an island off the east coast of Croker and then swam to Croker. This made no sense. I suspected that they were confused and disorientated. After further questions we were able to workout that they were dropped off at Peacock Island (off the north west of Croker Island). See the map below.
We promptly organised a search in that area by both vehicle and boat. We have no police or emergency services on Croker Island. Thankfully the two Chinese were sighted quite quickly walking along a beach. The photo below shows the second two Chinese men on the beach with one of the other Chinese who were already in our company and two CDU marine researchers.
We returned them to our camp, provided food, water and patched up some more sore feet. The ABF requested that we remain in our camp as they and the NT Police would come to us. While waiting, we continued interactions with our guests. They were all very polite, respectful, very appreciative and were no trouble at all. They all made it very clear that they did not want to return to China fearing for their lives if they were returned. One man stating that he had witnessed the slaughter of some of his family by the Chinese government. They had paid $US 6000 each for the passage across from Indonesia making this a very lucrative trip for the fishing boat owner.
After around 5 hours the NT Police arrived at our camp and took them away. Shortly after, the ABF rang on the satellite phone to arrange the transfer of these four men to a patrol boat that had just arrived in Somerville Bay near our camp. They were shocked when informed that the NT Police had already departed with them. It seems our agencies were not communicating, which is rather concerning! We understand that they were promptly deported from Australia - possibly to an off shore detention centre.
The rangers and the marine reseachers were all left feeling rather sad and concerned for these men. In just a few short hours we had developed quite a bond with them despite the communication challenges reminding us that there is far more to communicating than just verbal communications.
One of the rangers asked 'Why the ABF and NT Police were so quick to respond to the Chinese and yet so slow to respond to the many IFFVs we had reported, often not even showing up at all? The IFFV people are the real criminals here. These Chinese men were not criminals. They were simply escaping a desperate situation and trying to find a better life.'
A fair question!
I commented to our rangers and research team that many of my Scottish and Irish ancestors came to Australia under very similar circumstances in the 1800s - escaping famine, land clearances and persecution.
Actually, the IFFV crew are often poorly paid fishermen just trying to support their families. The boat owners back in Indonesian are the real criminals. We have been told that if the IFFV is confiscated and destroyed, the boat owners in Indonesian will aggressively seek compensation from the skipper and/or his family.
Anyway, it seems that this story has made it into the southern media. See some links below.
The media attention seems to have produced some changes with the ABF as they have been maintaining a much higher profile in our area since.
Boat people coming to this country seeking asylum has been and continues to be a very political issue. Sadly, many of our politicians focus more on scoring political points than on being part of the solution. A comment (from an unknown person) to my last blog post suggested this issue was a result of the failure of one political party. I feel it goes much deeper than this. Humans have been treating other humans very poorly down through the pages of history right to the present day.
Since these events played out nearly a month ago, I have been doing some reflecting. When these four Chinese men briefly came into our company, there were other forces at play - a centralised authoritarian Chinese government resulting in these men fleeing their country, money hungry Indonesian fishing boat owners/crew, the ABF in damage control for their repeated failures in not keeping our borders secure and an Australian government still having nightmares from previous asylum seeker arrivals with the opposition eager to score some political points as we approach an election. All of these other players were not present. They had no personal experience. They had not observed the palpable fear and anxiety. They had not witnessed the gratitude at having been rescued. They had not witnessed the Chinese men relax in our company and then observe their anxiety levels rise quickly when the NT Police arrived.
As a Christian I wondered what the Bible has to say on these matters. In the old testament there are many references to 'not mistreating aliens' and 'not oppressing them'. Often aliens are included with the 'fatherless and the widows'. The Israelites were commanded to care for them all and treat them justly.
In the new testament Jesus instructed that greatest commandments are to 'Love God with all your heart and to love your neighbour as yourself.' When asked by an expert in the Jewish law, 'Who is my neighbour', Jesus replied by telling the parable of the Good Samaritan where a man is brutally attacked by robbers and left on the road. Two religious leaders each came, looked and passed by without helping. A Samaritan then came and immediately provided first aid and ongoing care. Jesus then asked, 'Who of these three who was a neighbour to the man attacked by the robbers?' 'The man who had mercy on him'. To which Jesus replied 'Go and do likewise'.
Later in the new testament James says, 'Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes or daily food. If one you says to them, ' Go in peace, keep warm and well fed,' but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it?' ........ As the body without spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead'.
With our asylum seekers 'guests', the 'political noise' of this event was probably always going to drown out the very human elements. Our world desperately needs more neighbours like the good Samaritan. The Garngi rangers and our marine researcher colleagues did all we could for these Chinese men while they were in our company. Where they are now and what their fake is unknown to us. We can only hope and pray that more good Samaritans will cross their paths.
In the next post I will update you on our marine research.
Later tonight I am flying to Brisbane and then driving to Yarraman to commence my holidays. It has been a very busy year and I am really looking forward to a break. My personal 'fuel gauge' is sitting on 'E'.
Bless ya all
Bryan
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