Australia criticised as asylum ship is blocked

The United Nations last night joined the Norwegian government in criticising Australia for its refusal to allow a ship carrying 438 mainly Afghan refugees to land at an Australian port.

The UNHCR said all on the ship had a right to have their asylum cases heard on Australian soil.

Afghanistan's ruling Taliban regime also pleaded with the UN to intervene and help resolve the crisis.

Afghan Foreign Minister Mr Wakil Ahmed Mutawakel wrote to UN Secretary General Mr Kofi Annan appealing for help to end the crisis on "humanitarian and ethical" grounds, the Afghan Islamic Press reported.

New Zealand Prime Minister Ms Helen Clark also entered the fray, criticising Australia's handling of the situation and saying her country would have taken in the refugees on humanitarian grounds and that Australia should do the same.

However, the Australian government early today was still trying to rush emergency legislation through the senate which would allow the ship to be removed by force from Australian waters. A special all-night sitting of the senate had yet to conclude at the time of going to press although the Bill had been passed by the lower House of Representatives.

Norway reported Australia to the UN last night and branded it "inhumane" after 50 SAS troops took charge of the freighter which has spent three nights anchored off Christmas Island, off Australia's northwest coast, because neither Australia nor nearby Indonesia were willing to take its human cargo.

Norwegian Foreign Minister Mr Thorbjoern Jagland insisted Australia assume responsibility for the refugees and announced that Oslo had taken the case to the UN, the Red Cross and other international organisations. A spokesman for Mr Jagland said Australia was continuing to resist "any suggestions and compromises".

A UNHCR spokesman said the refugees had the right to an asylum hearing and offered the organisation's assistance to help Australia, Norway and Indonesia find a solution to the crisis.

"We are concerned that among the group of people who were rescued by the Norwegian ship there may indeed be refugees and asylum-seekers," he said.

The UNHCR praised the Norwegian captain of the ship for rescuing the refugees and said it hoped the refusal by several countries to let the vessel put into port would not deter commercial shippers from future rescues.

Australia to pass law allowing forced expulsion of asylum ship: page 11