'Officers used feet to repel refugees'

FEMALE navy personnel moved quickly to save desperate Afghan refugees from drowning after another boat carrying mostly male navy crew abused and physically prevented the Afghans - many with serious burn injuries - from boarding their rescue vessel.

Afghan elder Hassan Gulam, who interviewed survivors of the explosion of asylum-seekers boat SIEV 36 off Ashmore Reef, said that in the minutes after the blast, male navy personnel forced survivors trying to cling to the bow and sides of an RHIB rescue boat back into the water.

Asked what sort of force the survivors said was used, Mr Hassan replied: "They were pushed by hand and forced away by legs, not kicking in the face or anything but they were being pushed and sailors were shouting, 'Get off, go away'."

Mr Hassan said the explosion occurred after an Australian Navy officer on the vessel ordered crew to fill the fuel tank of a small auxiliary petrol engine used to power a bilge pump. The deadly explosion was most likely triggered by a cigarette igniting volatile fuel vapours that had concentrated in the boat's engine compartment.

Defence does not deny claims its personnel used force to fend off refugees, most of whom were poor swimmers or unable to swim as they frantically tried to clamber on board to safety.

Sources who have seen the navy video footage of the tragedy say Afghans were repelled from the rescue boats in scenes described as "distressing" and "inhumane".

Defence has declined to comment on the allegations, but has said its first priority is to ensure the safety of its own personnel, several of whom were on the refugee boat when it exploded in flames, killing five people.

It is understood Chief of the Defence Force Angus Houston has viewed video footage of the incident but is witholding a response until Northern Territory police and the Coroner's Office complete their investigation of the matter.

Last week, Immigration Minister Chris Evans expressed disatisfaction at the time it was taking the Territory's authorities to complete their work.

A spokesman for Defence Minister John Faulkner, who has not seen the footage, said the minister was expecting to receive "within days" an internal department report of the tragedy. All photos, video footage and reports would be released after clearance by Defence lawyers, he said.

In new claims, Mr Hassan, a respected Hazara elder, said angry male navy personnel used undue force to fend off survivors trying to grip on to one of three navy RHIBs (rigid-hull inflatable boats) at the scene of the early-morning disaster.

"The first number of people who tried to get on board were rejected - they were pushed back by the navy," Mr Hassan said.

"They are all quite clear and told me this, but (minutes) later the female navy officers fished them out of the water on to the rescue boat."

Mr Hassan said he did not know how long the officers repelled the asylum-seekers, but added that this was "a culture, a longstanding official culture to express a dislike of refugees".

Survivors later told Mr Hassan that RHIB rescue craft were manoeuvring about 100m away from the burning refugee boat.

While some of the asylum-seekers believe their colleagues drowned because they were forced off the navy RHIBs, others claim the force of the explosion was so violent that those who died were unconscious when they were blown off the stricken vessel.

Among the survivors, there was general agreement that the explosion was caused by a cigarette igniting petrol vapour when the auxiliary engine was being topped up, Mr Hassan said.

"All of these guys (Afghans) were very stressed and anxious about what was going to happen to them and were smoking constantly," he said.

"An Australian Navy man on the roof of the boat - he ordered the people to move to the front of the boat.

"That night, he (the Australian) ordered the crew to fill the engine, which pumps the water out - I don't have his name.

"The crew filled a tin with petrol and then put it into the pump engine; there was this strong smell of petrol and then the explosion."

While this explanation strongly suggests the cause of the explosion was accidental, West Australian Premier Colin Barnett earlier suggested deliberate sabotage on the part of the Indonesian crew, an account he was unable to substantiate.

For its part, the navy has insisted it rendered prompt assistance to injured asylum-seekers.

The Defence website says the first injured Afghans were receiving medical attention on the stern of patrol boat HMAS Childers within nine minutes of the boat explosion, although rescue priority was for uninjured Australians.

The international convention for the safety of life at sea, to which Australia is a signatory, requires any ships in the vicinity of a stricken vessel to render all possible assistance.