*I said that if refugee status is claimed by someone fleeing a peaceful village because a nearby war might overrun it, it becomes a bit hard to justify once the war ends*

Sheesh rstuart, did it never occur to you that if some parts of
Sri Lanka are safe for Tamils, that other Tamils could actually
move there? No need to come to Australia, unless of course you
want the cushy lifestyle we provide. Do you have absolutaly
no reasoning skills?

* I made it clear I don't believe there was any blackmail,*

The word was commonly used by commentators in the press. It certainly
was in my book too. Or in your language, the taxpayer got screwed.

*The refugees didn't refuse to get off.*

They certainly did refuse to get off.

*I think I am wearing you down,*

Hehe, so you think so :) Only one thing restricts me rstuart and this
is only two posts per day allowed.

*Ruddock set the 90% benchmark - he didn't change it,*

Not so rstuart. He took things offshore, which meant no more
lawyers and appeals, the figures improved. No more boats improved
things even more.

rstuart: "Ruddock set the 90% benchmark - he didn't change it"
Yabby: "Not so rstuart."

This is definitely a new phase. You have gone from inventing new things to directly contradicting stuff you relied on before. If was you who first introduced quoted Paul Sheehan's 90% figure. Banjo helpfully found the link to where Ruddock said it was the figure for when he was in office. Now you claim the real figure was something else?

Yabby: "They certainly did refuse to get off."

Did they? It is a very popular way of describing what happened, but it is at odds with this quote http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/nation/rudd-urges-jakarta-to-honour-deal-to-process-oceanic-viking-asylum-seekers/story-e6frg6nf-1225794543883

"We ban the Australian vessel carrying 78 Sri Lankan migrants from coming ashore at Kijang port. We order the navy and the police to enforce this," said Ismeth Abdullah, the governor of Riau Islands.

We could not ask them to get off - so how could they possibly refuse? Eventually Indonesia gave us some wiggle room in the form of a condition: the refugees had to want to have their claims heard in Indonesia. Once we got to that point guess what - the refugees were happy to get off! Not one refusal, Yabby, despite the word being used repeatedly in the popular press.

Yabby: "The word [blackmail] was commonly used by commentators in the press."

Yes, it was, but the same popular press said they refused to get off. They got it wrong in both cases. And rather than treating the populist crap they dished out with the disdain it deserves, you apparently lapped it up.

Yabby: "Sheesh rstuart, did it never occur to you that if some parts of Sri Lanka are safe for Tamils, that other Tamils could actually
move there?"

Err, Yabby. Sri Lanka isn't Australia. There is no centre link office in the next town. No food, no shelter and no jobs for the 256,000 that were displaced. And even if there was, if my government had just spent the last few days shelling my village I would not be stopping to see if they treated the next one any differently.

Ah Rstuart, you remain confused by the rundown of events.
From your very own article I quote you:-

*they are refusing to disembark and Indonesia has effectively argued while they remain on an Australian vessel they are Australia's problem.*

From the very moment that the 78 were rescued, the crew would
have made it plain for where they were sailing, ie not to Australia.
Once aware that their little ploy had failed, the 78 made it plain
that they refuse to disembark in Indonesia, for Australia was
where they wanted to go. That is where "refuse" comes from.

The Govenor of the State was a minor irritant, for the ship could
have sailed to another port. Rudd had agreements with higher
echelons of Govt then a mere underling.

In the end, only bribery got them off the ship. For a month, the
ship was effectively held hostage, unable to go about its business.
The Govt had no choice but to give in to blackmail.

*There is no centre link office in the next town. No food, no shelter*

Shocking hey. Amazingly billions live and cope in the third world,
without the things that you spoiled Aussie, could not dream of a
life without. Never mind that they have tens of thousands of $
to pay people smugglers, enough to live in the third world quite
well for years! So these are not the downtrodden, they went to
India. These are the relatively rich, who want an ever richer life
in Aus. And you sucker, fall for the ploy, whilst the real
refugees are in refugee camps around the world, without 5c to their
name.

Yabby: "the 78 made it plain that they refuse to disembark in Indonesia"

Did they? You have a quote from an authoritative source to that effect? Even if they did, it was an empty threat - so it could not lead to a hijack. From http://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/1120132/%27Nasty-scene%27-likely-on-Oceanic-Viking we see Rudd was considering forcing them off:

"The opposition believes a nasty scenario could unfold on the Oceanic Viking if 78 asylum seekers refuse to get off the ship. Opposition immigration spokeswoman Sharman Stone has taken Prime Minister Kevin Rudd to task for failing to rule out the use of force in getting them off the customs vessel."

And don't you love the "if 78 asylum seekers refuse to get off the ship" bit. Unlike you, the opposition didn't believe they had refused to do so.

Yabby: "From your very own article I quote you:"

Would you believe I had to wade through 10 or so newspaper articles before I found one that even mentioned the Indonesian refused to let them land? And after finding one that did, I copy and pasted the wrong link. Sorry about that. Here is one that describes what actually happened:

http://www.smh.com.au/world/indonesia-governor-rebels-on-refugees-20091027-hj39.html

Yabby: "The Govenor of the State was a minor irritant, for the ship could have sailed to another port."

You mean you knew all along how our government could avoided this month long saga, and avoided giving the 78 special treatment and you didn't tell anybody? And it was so simple - just sail to another port. Why didn't anybody else think of that. You're a genius!

Yabby: "Amazingly billions live and cope in the third world,"

Not so amazing when you think about it, as most of those billions aren't being shelled by their own government. And rest assured Yabby, despite your illusions of how nice life must be in the middle or a war zone many people who find themselves in one end up becoming refugees. Maybe you should take a holiday in one to show the world what weak spined namby pambies we native Auzzies really are?

Its as though the walls are too thin, with those two loud lovers, rstuart and Yabby, gushing all over each other. I s'pose they'll eventually collapse, exhausted and perspiring from their tireless exertions, finally devoid of all rational argument. Already you can see that's not too far off now...

RStuart still clings to the notion that the occupiers all along wanted to leave the Oceanic Viking but were prevented from doing so.

“Would you believe I had to wade through 10 or so newspaper articles before I found one that even mentioned the Indonesian refused to let them land?”

Translation: IT TOOK ME ALL THAT TIME BEFORE I COULD CHERRY PICK A QUOTE THAT SEEMED TO CONFIRM MY DELUSION.

Yes RStuart, the whole media world is part of a giant conspiracy to hide the truth ( psst! Perhaps they’re in the pay of Sri Lankan govt agents).
And all along the passengers on the Oceanic Viking wanted to leave –but no one would let them disembark!

PULL THE OTHER LEG ---LOL

The rest of the world has a different story:

[The SMH ]
http://www.smh.com.au/world/indonesia-wants-to-find-the-australian-solution-20091102-htg1.html
“with those refusing to disembark from the Oceanic Viking”

[ The Straits Times –Singapore]
http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/SEAsia/Story/STIStory_456056.html
“DOZENS of Sri Lankan asylum seekers left an Australian customs ship in Indonesia on Wednesday, ending a three-week protest over their claims for refugee status.”

[ The Indian News –Bangkok]
http://www.thaindian.com/newsportal/world-news/lankans-using-civil-war-as-excuse-to-seek-asylum-envoy_100271656.html#ixzz0YXkxmTWH
“Australia has been trying for two weeks to persuade the group of ethnic Tamils to voluntarily disembark the Oceanic Viking and enter the Tanjung Pinang Detention Centre on the Indonesian island of Bintan. But the group has refused, adamant they want to be taken to Australia even though they were rescued in international waters within Indonesia’s search and rescue zone.”

Your delusion about them wanting to disembark is only bettered by your delusion that the Refugee Convention is one giant soup kitchen .
And wanting to upgrade to a better economic clime is sufficient to qualify as a refugee!

Native
RStuart well illustrates the sought of denialist mentality you’ll have to content with to get your suggestions through.