FREMANTLE — On October 16, 20 refugee-rights activists commemorated the fourth anniversary of the SIEV X disaster, in which 353 people drowned inside Australia’s Operation Relex aerial surveillance zone. Since then, the government has actively impeded investigations that would uncover more information about the incident.

A procession through the main street with banners and effigies caused people in the cafes to fall silent, then cheer in support as the protesters called “Four years on from SIEV-X, 353 dead, zero answers”. Organised by the Refugee Rights Action Network, the protest received greetings from the Maritime Union of Australia and was part of the growing call for a memorial to be constructed to remember the SIEV-X victims.

Virginia Brown

From Green Left Weekly, October 26, 2005.
Visit the Green Left Weekly home page.

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