Freighter captain defies Australian guns

By GREG ANSLEY Australian correspondent

In a tense standoff outside the harbour at Christmas Island, the master of the Norwegian freighter MV Tampa was last night continuing to refuse the orders of Australian SAS troops to sail into international waters.

Defying repeated commands by Australian officials and later staring down the guns of an assault force led by SAS Lieutenant-Colonel Gus Gilmore, Captain Arne Rinnan sailed toward the Australian offshore territory after the 434 asylum-seekers aboard again threatened to throw themselves overboard.

The ship was boarded in an afternoon of high drama by soldiers in high-speed Zodiac boats, in what Prime Minister John Howard described as "unprecedented action".

Amid mounting diplomatic and domestic anger, Mr Howard yesterday told a hushed session of Parliament that Australia would not relent and continued to demand that the Tampa head back to sea.

Norwegian Prime Minister bluntly told Mr Howard in a telephone conversation that he would not order Captain Rinnan to obey the commands of the SAS troopers on his bridge.

"He expressed the view that the Norwegian Government had no responsibility in the matter despite the fact that it's a Norwegian flag vessel, it has a Norwegian captain and its owner is a Norwegian company," Mr Howard said.

Norway said it would raise the Australian action with the international shipping organisation and the United Nations.

A spokesman for the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Karsten Klepsvik, said: "We do really expect that Australia will fulfil its international obligations and accept these people and see how unfair it is to burden the Norwegian shipping company and the Norwegian Government with this problem when we, at your request, saved the 438 lives of the people from the sea."

Indonesia, reportedly furious that Canberra did not consult it before refusing entry to the mainly Afghani asylum-seekers rescued from a sinking Indonesian fishing boat, continues to refuse to let the Tampa land the group in its territory.

Negotiations continued late last night between Canberra and Jakarta.

The Australian Foreign Minister, Alexander Downer, said that as well as the immediate crisis over the Tampa, he hoped to reach agreement on a new pact to stop the flow of boat people through Indonesia.

The Tampa's owners, Wallenius Wilhelmsen, said they would take legal action against the Australian Government for piracy if the ship was forced back into international waters.

In Sydney, the company's regional director, Peter Dexter, said Captain Rinnan had considered that the condition of the asylum-seekers was getting out of hand.

In the interests of them and his crew he had decided to proceed to the nearest shore.

"We respect the view of the master and acknowledge his responsibility and sole right to make this decision," Mr Dexter said.

"His ultimate responsibility is to make the most appropriate decision for the wellbeing of all on board."

The high-seas confrontation began on Sunday when the Tampa picked up survivors from the disintegrating Indonesian boat KM Palapa in international waters, but within the area patrolled by Indonesian search and rescue authorities.

Captain Rinnan was forced to head to Christmas Island after asylum-seekers threatened to throw themselves overboard if they were taken to Indonesia.

Canberra, already under pressure from the arrival of more than 900 refugees on Christmas Island in the preceding three weeks, refused to accept the asylum-seekers under threat, denied Tampa entry to its territorial waters, and instructed it to sail to Indonesia.

Jakarta also refused entry.

Low on food and medical supplies, and with at least 10 people reportedly ill, Captain Rinnan began steaming slowly towards Christmas Island about midday yesterday.

SAS, medical, immigration and support teams flown to Christmas Island by RAAF Hercules and charter aircraft were assembling a winch-equipped helicopter as the Tampa began moving.

The island's indoor sports centre has been converted into a temporary detention processing centre and more 10-person tents were added to a growing city of canvas.

The port was also closed and small craft ordered to leave.

As the Tampa moved toward the island, it was buzzed by a Customs aircraft, followed soon afterwards by Zodiacs packed with SAS troopers who boarded and took control of the ship.

A medical team then boarded the ship and late yesterday afternoon the team advised Australian officials that no one required emergency treatment.

With replenished food and medical supplies, the crew of the Tampa and the refugees were warned to prepare for a long stay at sea.

In Parliament, Mr Howard said the Norwegian Government and Captain Rinnan had been warned on Tuesday night that the Tampa would be boarded and taken under the control of armed troops if it entered Australian territory.

As the confrontation continued, the Jakarta office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees warned that another large boatload of asylum-seekers was likely to set off soon for Australia.

The police detained 251 foreign refugees on the island of Lombok, as they and thousands of others scattered throughout Indonesia waited to secretly set sail for Australia.