No port in a storm: Australia tells virus-stricken cruise ships to go home

[ravip]

Australia insisted Friday it would not let the crew of multiple virus-stricken cruise ships into the country, slapping aside suggestions it was falling short on legal and moral obligations.

More than a dozen ships are believed to be off Australia's coast, carrying around 15,000 crew and some experiencing outbreaks of coronavirus.

Full article

[nausea]

Not my problem, deal with it. I do wonder about the medical facilities aboard these ships, perhaps some donations of ventilators and what have you might not go amiss, human solidarity and all that.

[Don Mega]

They should make em sail then have the Border force sink em.

 

<deleted> the floating petri dishes.

Edited April 3, 2020 by Don Mega

[Farangwithaplan]

I thought maritime law states that ships in distress must be answered by whatever country is called upon. Do I have that wrong or has Australia just ignored the law?

[ravip]

2 minutes ago, Farangwithaplan said:

I thought maritime law states that ships in distress must be answered by whatever country is called upon. Do I have that wrong or has Australia just ignored the law?

Yes, I guess that was in the good ole days.

Today, laws are very flexible if you are privileged.

More

[Lacessit]

If one reads to the end of the article, states can refuse ports to any vessel that is an unreasonable risk. IMO a pandemic would sit in that definition.

[Don Mega]

16 minutes ago, Farangwithaplan said:

I thought maritime law states that ships in distress must be answered by whatever country is called upon. Do I have that wrong or has Australia just ignored the law?

What distress is the ship in ?

[gearbox]

So many accusations on TVF that Thais are racist, xenophobic, etc..... I still I don't remember Prayut to tell openly to all foreigners "Time to go home".  ScoMo however doesn't polish it too much:

 

https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/go-home-scott-morrison-tells-international-visitors-20200403-p54gu2.html

 

"At this time, Australia must focus on its citizens and its residents to ensure we can maximise the economic supports that we have," the Prime Minister told reporters in Canberra on Friday.

There are up to 1.6 million temporary visa holders in Australia who are not eligible for social security benefits and face a narrowing window of opportunity to secure a flight home.

 

I can imagine the comments if Prayut says "Thais first, the rest <deleted>"

[ravip]

17 minutes ago, Don Mega said:

What distress is the ship in ?

To really understand, you should be on-board that ship. Reality, will be very clear then.

Yes, today laws, opinions etc can be tailor made to fit the occasion or the person etc.

It is a disgusting world, COVID-19 might help some to see what is real... but...

[ravip]

43 minutes ago, Don Mega said:

They should make em sail then have the Border force sink em.

 

<deleted> the floating petri dishes.

Really? With what sort of authority and 'knowledge' are you suggesting that?

(or just a beer or two in excess? ????)

[damascase]

1 hour ago, ravip said:

More than a dozen ships are believed to be off Australia's coast, carrying around 15,000 crew and some experiencing outbreaks of coronavirus.

15.000 crew? What about oassengers?

[norfolkandchance]

I hope the cruise is All Inclusive.

[steven100]

7 minutes ago, damascase said:

15.000 crew? What about oassengers?

what's an oassenger  ?

[tropo]

1 hour ago, Farangwithaplan said:

I thought maritime law states that ships in distress must be answered by whatever country is called upon. Do I have that wrong or has Australia just ignored the law?

No laws have been broken. You missed the last paragraph:

 

"Under international law, a state might refuse access to its ports for a ship that poses a serious and unacceptable safety, environmental, health or security threat to it. A pandemic would no doubt count in this regard."

[AussieBob18]

Aust has changed tact after the Ruby Princess fiasco that let 100s of corona infected people into Australia, when the ship's crew said there were none (which is now a police investigation).  These ships all bypassed other countries in the hope to get their problems dealt with by the Australian medical system - but with no Australians on board.  They have been offerred support and help to go back home, but they want to burden the Aust medical system with thousands of non-Australians and Australia was not one of their ports of call - they chose to come to Australia - and were rejected by others.    

[LomSak27]

If all these ships are non Australian cruises, where do they come from? Where is the home port? Why are they not returning there?

 

[Olmate]

3 minutes ago, LomSak27 said:

If all these ships are non Australian cruises, where do they come from? Where is the home port? Why are they not returning there?

 

They operate under “flags of convenience”,have no home port and are registered in tax havens.

[LomSak27]

Just now, Olmate said:

They operate under “flags of convenience”,have no home port and are registered in tax havens.

 

So they sale from no port. No passengers then. What's the problem

Edited April 3, 2020 by LomSak27

[Olmate]

7 minutes ago, LomSak27 said:

 

So they sale from no port. No passengers then. What's the problem

Ask the Australian Maritime Workers Union, explains it very well.

[LomSak27]

I did not know they cruised all the way across the Pacific to Australia. But interestingly enough no one on the videos would say where they bordered the boat at. Or what nationality but they had some aussies in another video banging around Sydney harbor.  As the video people refuse to answer that question, and as Olmate won't, instead puts up a you tube picture - no link - this is starting to smell like marsupial-excrement, could be vegemite though.

 

Not my problem & looks like we are going to play hide the Nazi tonight.   gotta go.

 

Aloha

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited April 3, 2020 by LomSak27

[Olmate]

10 minutes ago, LomSak27 said:

I did not know they cruised all the way across the Pacific to Australia. But interestingly enough no one on the videos would say where they bordered the boat at. Or what nationality but they had some aussies in another video banging around Sydney harbor.  As the video people refuse to answer that question, and as Olmate won't, instead puts up a you tube picture - no link - this is starting to smell like marsupial-excrement, could be vegemite though.

 

Not my problem & looks like we are going to play hide the Nazi tonight.   gotta go.

 

Aloha

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I did say ask the AMWU, to watch utube! Bit hard ..never mind

[rhodie]

1 hour ago, gearbox said:

So many accusations on TVF that Thais are racist, xenophobic, etc..... I still I don't remember Prayut to tell openly to all foreigners "Time to go home".  ScoMo however doesn't polish it too much:

 

https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/go-home-scott-morrison-tells-international-visitors-20200403-p54gu2.html

 

"At this time, Australia must focus on its citizens and its residents to ensure we can maximise the economic supports that we have," the Prime Minister told reporters in Canberra on Friday.

There are up to 1.6 million temporary visa holders in Australia who are not eligible for social security benefits and face a narrowing window of opportunity to secure a flight home.

 

I can imagine the comments if Prayut says "Thais first, the rest <deleted>"

I take it you aren't up to date. We do not have any benefits here. We are cannon fodder. Prayut has closed the borders and good on him. But we get nothing. Australia have done the same, but those there are not in the same boat we are here. They get free corona tests and medical if they can't pay for it. Try that here. ???? 

[gearbox]

1 hour ago, Olmate said:

They operate under “flags of convenience”,have no home port and are registered in tax havens.

Why would this matter? Just 2-3 months ago nobody was asking what was the home port of these ships, and they were welcomed with open arms in Sydney. The passengers of these ships are relatively well-off and they spent good money there. All this is forgotten now. Dog eat dog. A little bit of compassion wouldn't do much harm.

[Damrongsak]

2 hours ago, steven100 said:

what's an oassenger  ?

Someone who sits around on their oass on a deck chair?

[watthong]

3 hours ago, steven100 said:

3 hours ago, damascase said:

15.000 crew? What about oassengers?

what's an oassenger  ?

is a passenger, usually on camel back, who gets dumped at the nearest oasis for exhibiting symptoms of coronavirus. Lots of such stories that have yet to make headlines news.

[Farangwithaplan]

8 hours ago, tropo said:

No laws have been broken. You missed the last paragraph:

 

"Under international law, a state might refuse access to its ports for a ship that poses a serious and unacceptable safety, environmental, health or security threat to it. A pandemic would no doubt count in this regard."

I read about international law. But I asked about maritime law, which was noted in the paragraph above the one you quoted. Hence my question.

 

Edited April 3, 2020 by Farangwithaplan

[Olmate]

8 hours ago, gearbox said:

Why would this matter? Just 2-3 months ago nobody was asking what was the home port of these ships, and they were welcomed with open arms in Sydney. The passengers of these ships are relatively well-off and they spent good money there. All this is forgotten now. Dog eat dog. A little bit of compassion wouldn't do much harm.

Agreed unlike the Ruby Princess passengers,who created havoc Mr Potato is deep in the doo now over that farce. Seems some from The Hillsong Church needed to get off without proper scrutiny . Flags of convenience means the  non Oz crews are paid very low wages,no normal Aussie workers rights, award conditions etc. Maritime Union are trying to get them off along with the passengers to offer them safety.

[damascase]

19 hours ago, steven100 said:

what's an oassenger  ?

Just in case you are still wondering:  replace the ‘o’ with a ’p’ and see what you get......????. And your ‘an’ should be ‘a’......????.

[ravip]

18 hours ago, rhodie said:

I take it you aren't up to date. We do not have any benefits here. We are cannon fodder. Prayut has closed the borders and good on him. But we get nothing. Australia have done the same, but those there are not in the same boat we are here. They get free corona tests and medical if they can't pay for it. Try that here. ???? 

So Aussie it is. Let's pack up... and hurry, or we miss the boat!

[tropo]

11 hours ago, Farangwithaplan said:

I read about international law. But I asked about maritime law, which was noted in the paragraph above the one you quoted. Hence my question.

 

Any of these laws are quite irrelevant. Who's going to force Australia to accept ships full of infected people?