Memorial to honour SIEV-X victims
"A temporary memorial, dedicated to more than 350 asylum seekers who drowned in the so-called SIEV X tragedy in 2001, will be opened in Canberra today."A number of white poles, decorated by school children and representing the lives lost in the capsize, will stand on the shores of Lake Burley Griffin for six weeks.
"Memorial co-founder Steve Biddulph says he hope it will go some way towards remembering the asylum seekers.
"'Some of us felt that was just such a horrendous loss of life that something should be done to honour their memory,' he said."
ABC News
Police urged to release SIEV-X names :: sievx.com
"SIEV-X stands for Suspected Illegal Entry Vessel X (the X means 'unknown'). It is the name, coined by Tony Kevin, commonly used to refer to a dilapidated Indonesian fishing boat that was en-route to Christmas Island carrying over 400 asylum seekers. It sank in international waters on October 19, 2001, killing 353 people, mostly women and children. The tragedy was politically controversial in Australia, as it occurred during an election campaign at a time when asylum seekers and border protection were major issues."
Wikipedia
"It was the largest maritime disaster since World War II, and yet the fate of these people barely disturbed the life of the country they were aspiring to join."
The Age
Categories: siev-x, sievx, australia, refugees, activism, disinformation, disinfo
Pip Wilson posted item above at 6:55 AM | Permalink
3 Comments:
I'm pleased someone is doing something to recognise these people. I notice it will only be on site for 6 weeks. I would like to see something permanent, to show respect for these people, to recognise that they did matter...g
Senator Lundy has since stated that Labor, if elected, will see that the memorial is erected permanently.
As this blog is dedicated to the SIEV-X victims, I really hope the memorial stays.
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