World News 29-08-2001 Australian SAS Seize Asylum Ship who: Australian SAS what: Seize control of container ship carrying over 400 Afghan asylum-seekers where: Australia when: Last night snippet: "Australian troops have taken control of a Norwegian ship carrying over 400 refugees, after it entered Australian territorial waters without permission," reports the BBC this morning. 438 asylum-seekers, mostly from Afghanistan but including some from Sri Lanka and Pakistan, were rescued by the Norwegian container ship MV Tampa off Indonesia on Sunday and asked to be taken to Australia. The ship had been lying off the remote Australian territory of Christmas Island since Monday, but sailed into Australian territorial waters last night. "The SAS personnel on the vessel have put it to the captain that the appropriate thing would be for the captain to return to international waters," says Australian Prime Minister John Howard. Reports in today`s papers submitted before last night`s events expressed concern that several of the asylum-seekers needed medical attention. Many were on hunger strike or threatening to throw themselves overboard unless they were taken to the mainland. The captain feared there could be a riot. "There are only 24 of us and over 400 of them," says the Tampa`s second officer, Grete Bugga, quoted in The Times, "so they can do what they want and we have no way of stopping them." [... more]

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