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Suspected Irregular Entry Vessel

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Suspected Irregular Entry Vessel (SIEV) is the operational term used by the Australian Defence Force and Australian Coastwatch for maritime vessels which appear to be attempting to reach Australia clandestinely without authorisation. These boats are almost exclusively carrying asylum seekers who have departed from Indonesia on the final leg of a journey which started in countries such as Iraq, Afghanistan and Sri Lanka. During Operation Relex, 12 SIEVs were intercepted. Four were forced back to Indonesia, and three sank.

SIEVs are given numerical designations. The vessel involved in the children overboard affair was the SIEV-4. The vessel that sank in 2001, killing 353 asylum seekers (mostly women and children) was designated by the press as SIEV X (a temporary operational term used by Coastwatch prior to designation , the SIEV-X often referred to in the press was reported not to have been detected prior to sinking).

List of notable SIEVs

  • SIEV-4 - the vessel involved in the children overboard affair, reached Christmas Island on 6 October 2001 with 223 passengers.
  • SIEV-5 - reached Ashmore Reef on 12 October 2001 with 242 passengers.
  • SIEV-6 - reached Christmas Island on 18 October 2001 with 227 passengers.
  • SIEV-7 - reached Ashmore Reef on 22 October 2001 with 233 passengers.
  • SIEV-X - sank on 19 October 2001 with 421 passengers, killing 353. This boat was not an official SIEV, as it had not been detected by Australian authorities.[1][2]
  • SIEV 36 - exploded and caught fire on 16 April 2009. The boat was carrying 47 passengers and two Indonesian crew. Three occupants were killed, and two more are missing. Five of the six navy personnel on board were injured.
  • SIEV-221 - shipwrecked on cliffs at Christmas Island on 15 December 2010, 44 survivors from an estimated 90-100 passengers.

Inquiries and inquests

The Siev X, Siev 36 and Siev 221 events were followed by a number of inquiries, articles and books; Siev 36 had a coronial inquest,[3] and Siev 221 was held in Western Australia due to jurisdiction [4]

Notes

  1. ^ http://www.sievxmemorial.com/
  2. ^ Kevin, Tony (2004), A certain maritime incident : the sinking of SIEV X, Scribe Publications, ISBN 978-1-920769-21-5
  3. ^ http://www.defence.gov.au/siev36/inquest.htm
  4. ^ http://www.abc.net.au/pm/content/2012/s3438150.htm WA coroner hands down findings into Christmas Island disaster

See also

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