I really admit not knowing about this, but I was married at the time and not as cognizant of world events as I should have been. On this date in 2001, SIEV X went down along with 353 souls. SIEV stands for Suspected Illegal Entry Vessel, and this particular vessel left on the 18th of October 2001. It was a fishing boat that left Indonesia with 421 passengers. It was legally international waters, but these people on the ship were refugees heading to Australia for asylum. Most of the lives who were lost were women and children. There is much conjecture that suggests that the Australian government allowed these deaths to occur, but of course, nothing can be proven. There is a memorial (pictured above) that commemorates the death of these individuals. No matter what, this is a tragedy.
For more information:
http://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2011/10/siev-o19.html
http://www.abc.net.au/unleashed/3574870.html
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1 Comment
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I vaguely remember this. But it is certainly a tragedy! What a shame to lose so many lives when they might have been saved. I love the simple memorial. Thanks for the information.
