The Australian Tamil Congress (ATC) called on its government to ensure the safety of 153 Tamil asylum seekers reported to be stranded off Christmas Island.
"Australian Tamil Congress calls on our government to take the necessary steps to ensure the safety of the stranded people who appear to be in dire conditions in the sea," the group said in a statement made on Saturday.
"If the people on the boat eventually choose to apply for protection, ATC calls on our government to faithfully apply the necessary procedures to assess their claims under the UN Refugee Conventions to which Australia is a signatory. ATC requests the government to provide necessary mental and physical health services for these people to overcome their traumatic experiences during and after war in Sri Lanka," ATC went on to say.
See related articles:
Australia denies asylum seeker boat in trouble (28 Jun 2014)
Tamil asylum seekers stranded in Australian waters, Abbott deflects questions (27 Jun 2014)
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