FED: Norway ship line considers piracy charge against Australia

AAP General News (Australia)
08-29-2001
FED: Norway ship line considers piracy charge against Australia

SYDNEY, Aug 29 AAP - Australia could be charged with piracy if it tried to steer a
Norwegian container ship and its 438 rescued asylum seekers back to sea, the ship's owners
said today.

Australian Special Air Service (SAS) troops today boarded the MS Tampa just off Christmas
Island where the ship's captain was trying to take the refugees ashore because he was
concerned about their health.

Wallenius Wilhelmsen shipping line spokesman Per Ronnevig said he was angered by the
military invasion of his ship.

Mr Ronnevig said captain Arne Rinnan sent his crew downstairs and the troops ordered
the ship out to sea.

The captain refused to comply but he was still in charge of the vessel, as far as Mr
Ronnevig knew.

Speaking from Oslo, Mr Ronnevig told Sydney radio 2GB any attempt to take the ship's
controls by force and turn it back to international waters would be regarded as piracy
"and we would act thereafter legally".

"It's totally unheard of, to use military force in a situation like this," Mr Ronnevig said.

"The Australian government is putting up a brand new standard in established international
rules as far as behaviour at sea is concerned.

"But of course this is a situation, 44 heavily armed soldiers boarding the ship, that's
not an everyday thing for us."

Mr Ronnevig rejected Prime Minister John Howard's assertion that the ship's captain
broke an agreement to stay out of Australian territorial waters in return for Australia
sending medical help for the asylum seekers.

"He didn't (break any agreement) because requests for medical assistance and medicine
was sent off 48 hours ago to the Australian government and there was no response," Mr
Ronnevig said.

"We were told there was a doctor in Christmas Island who was coming on board but he
claimed the ship was too big so he couldn't come on board."

Mr Ronnevig said the Tampa was now caught up in a stand-off because it had properly
responded to a call for help from Australian rescue authorities.

"One has to bear in mind that the ship Tampa was on its way from Fremantle to Singapore
and he (the captain) was then asked by a rescue centre, an Australian rescue centre, to
assist in a rescue operation," Mr Ronnevig said.

"We steamed over there and we rescued some 438 people.

"We just did what everybody else should do at sea - if somebody is in distress, go
ahead and save them."

AAP gmw/ge/jc

KEYWORD: BOAT OWNERS

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