MV Tampa

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The ship MV Tampa was built in Korea by Hyundai Heavy Industries for the carrying of shipping containers or cars. It was launched in 1984 and is currently owned by the Norwegian based Wilhelmsen Lines Shipowning.

Contents 1 Tampa affair 2 Nansen refugee award 3 Cocaine smuggling bust 4 Use as Mythbusters test model 5 References 6 See also 7 Further reading 8 External links

[edit] Tampa affair

In August 2001, under Captain Arne Rinnan, a diplomatic dispute brewed between Australia, Norway, and Indonesia after Tampa had rescued 438 Afghans from a distressed fishing vessel in international waters. The Afghans wanted passage to nearby Christmas Island. The Australian government sought to prevent this by refusing Tampa entry into Australian waters, insisting on their disembarkment elsewhere, and deploying the SASR to board the ship. At the time of the incident, Tampa carried AUD$20 million worth of cargo and 27 crew.

[edit] Nansen refugee award

The crew of the Tampa received the Nansen Refugee Award for 2002 from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) for their efforts to follow international principles of saving people in distress at sea, despite repeated threats of imprisonment and confiscation of the ship from the Australian government.

[edit] Cocaine smuggling bust

In October 2006, the Tampa was one of two Wilhelmsen ships involved in a cocaine-smuggling operation intercepted by the New Zealand Customs Service and the Australian Federal Police. Twenty-seven kilograms of cocaine was allegedly attached to the side of the two cargo ships bound for Australia in purpose-built metal pods, although New Zealand authorities stated they did not believe the ship's crew or owners were involved.^[1]

[edit] Use as Mythbusters test model

In the 2006 episode "Whirlpool/Snowplow" of the TV show Mythbusters, a 1:350 scale model of the MV Tampa was assembled, weighted with lead shot to simulate a full load of cargo, and used as a scale scientific test bed vehicle for determining whether ocean whirlpools are capable of sinking a large container ship.

[edit] References

[edit] See also

• Children overboard affair
• Mandatory detention in Australia
• Ruddock v Vadarlis

[edit] Further reading

• Decision of Justice North, Federal Court of Australia 11 September 2001
• Decision of Full Court overturning decision of Justice North, 18 September 2001
• David Marr & Marian Wilkinson Dark Victory. ISBN 1-74114-447-7
• Ian McPhedran "The Amazing SAS". ISBN 0-7322-7981-X
• News.com.au: Reflections by Julian Burnside on Tampa with public comments published to coincide with 5 year anniversary of the event
• Daniel Ross, Violent Democracy, ch. 5.

[edit] External links

• NauruWire, an Australia based site Update on status of detainees. Accessed 25 June 2005.
• MV Tampa Details of the MV Tampa from Wilhelmsen Lines Shipowning, Norway, the vessels owner.