Where are the boats, Mr Morrison?

153 Tamil asylum seekers have gone missing in Australian waters after a two week boat journey from India.  They haven’t been heard from since Saturday.

The Government won’t say what has happened to them, refusing to even confirm their existence.

There are media reports that they have been handed over to the Sri Lankan Navy.

The Sri Lanka Navy says they are being taken to Christmas Island.

Officials on Christmas Island report that no boats have arrived and none can be seen from their shores.

It’s a ludicrous and dangerous situation. Whatever the truth, the situation is extremely concerning on many levels.

That our democratically elected Government feels they have a right to keep Australians in the dark about what is happening in our waters flies in the face of everything that this country stands for. It is undemocratic and a complete denial of accountable government.  It is the behaviour of a police state.

The suggestion that this secrecy is a deterrent to people smugglers is a furphy.  It is politically motivated; an attempt to control the flow of information about boat arrivals so the Government can continue to beat their hollow ‘we stopped the boats’ drum.

Up until this point, it’s the only election commitment they have technically managed to keep – even though it has been at the expense of decency, humanity and our international obligations.

If people have been handed over to the Sri Lankan Navy – or even if such a move has been considered – this is morally and legally reprehensible.

Serious human rights violations against Tamils in Sri Lanka have been well-documented.

Human Rights Watch have documented 75 cases of alleged rape and sexual abuse against Tamil men and women from 2006 to 2012 in Government detention centres – some official, some secret – across Sri Lanka.

As well as being subjected to sexual violence, victims reported being beaten, hung by their arms, partially asphyxiated and burnt with cigarettes.

They were denied legal counsel, access to family members or medical assistance.

The victims included people returned to Sri Lanka after attempting to seek asylum.

Under international law, we are obliged to respect the principle of non-refoulement – this prohibits us from sending anyone back to a country where their life would be under threat or they would face a real risk of torture or ill-treatment.

Mr Morrison must honour our international obligations to asylum seekers. It is his responsibility to inform the Australian public where the 153 men, women and children are and what he plans to do with them.