Australia told UN Secretary-General Mr Kofi Annan today it would not back down from expelling a Norwegian freighter carrying hundreds of asylum seekers from its waters.
"I have had discussions with the secretary-general, I have briefed him on the discussions we have had with a number of countries," Prime Minister Mr John Howard said on the fifth day of the asylum ship saga.
"We don't retreat in any way from what we have done, it is the right thing to do . . . and it was in Australia's national interest".
United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Ms Mary Robinson had urged Australia to allow the ship to dock.
"The [United Nations] Convention [on human rights] provides that they should be accepted at the nearest post. I think this issue is a very serious one", Ms Robinson told BBC radio.
Pressure seemed to be mounting on the Australian government to change its stance as the 434 boat people - mainly from Afghanistan - remained in sweltering heat aboard the freighter Tampaoff Christmas Island.
Domestic support for the government's decision yesterday to send crack troops aboard the Tampaand force her back to sea gave way today to criticism.
International criticism also continued to grow as Mr Howard faced accusations of pandering to an ugly undercurrent of racism in his increasingly tough line against illegal immigrants.
Indonesia has also refused to help out since they were rescued by the Tampafrom a sinking Indonesian ferry in the Indian Ocean on Sunday.
Norway, where the Tampais registered, has also rejected responsibility, but castigated Australia for its inhumane stand.
As the standoff continued, officials in Queensland reported another boat with 40 asylum seekers had been spotted near the Great Barrier Reef.