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| Australia PM furious at smugglers | Australia PM furious at smugglers |
| (30 minutes later) | |
| Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd has described people-smugglers as "scum" who should "rot in hell". | |
| His comments come a day after an explosion aboard a boat carrying Afghan asylum seekers killed at least three people and injured dozens more. | His comments come a day after an explosion aboard a boat carrying Afghan asylum seekers killed at least three people and injured dozens more. |
| The cause of the blast remains unknown, but some MPs have suggested it may have been deliberate, to avoid deportation. | The cause of the blast remains unknown, but some MPs have suggested it may have been deliberate, to avoid deportation. |
| The incident has reignited debate about asylum policy. The opposition believes Mr Rudd's approach is too soft. | |
| Liberal party leader Malcolm Turnbull said the government stance - less hardline than that of the previous administration - provided a greater incentive to smugglers, encouraging people to put their lives at risk by setting out to sea. | |
| But the government has blamed the recent surge in asylum seekers on the ongoing conflicts in Afghanistan and Sri Lanka, along with the global economic downturn. | |
| Horrific burns | |
| The asylum-seekers who survived the explosion have now been flown to hospitals in Australia. | |
| The death toll is likely to rise, because two people are still missing at the explosion site and five others are on life support. | |
| Some of the burns are so severe that doctors in Perth have compared them to those they treated in the aftermath of the Bali bombings. | Some of the burns are so severe that doctors in Perth have compared them to those they treated in the aftermath of the Bali bombings. |
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| Dr Len Notaras from the Royal Darwin Hospital describes the injuries | Dr Len Notaras from the Royal Darwin Hospital describes the injuries |
| Speaking on Friday, Mr Rudd issued a withering verdict on those who traffic people across borders. | Speaking on Friday, Mr Rudd issued a withering verdict on those who traffic people across borders. |
| "People smugglers are the vilest form of human life because they trade on the tragedy of others," he said. | "People smugglers are the vilest form of human life because they trade on the tragedy of others," he said. |
| "We've seen this lowest form of human life at work in what we saw on the high seas yesterday." | "We've seen this lowest form of human life at work in what we saw on the high seas yesterday." |
| Asylum-seekers were held on Nauru under Mr Howard's Pacific Solution | |
| Mr Rudd refused to speculate on the cause of Thursday's explosion, citing ongoing investigations. | Mr Rudd refused to speculate on the cause of Thursday's explosion, citing ongoing investigations. |
| But the premier of Western Australia said the boat was doused with fuel before the blast, suggesting it could have been an attempt to prevent deportation. | But the premier of Western Australia said the boat was doused with fuel before the blast, suggesting it could have been an attempt to prevent deportation. |
| When the explosion happened, the boat was being escorted to an offshore island by the Australian navy, so the asylum seekers' claims could be processed. | |
| Rise in claims | |
| This is the sixth boat carrying asylum-seekers to enter Australian waters this year. The number of people arriving in this way already totals more than 250 this year - a significant increase from the total of 179 refugees intercepted during the whole of 2008. | This is the sixth boat carrying asylum-seekers to enter Australian waters this year. The number of people arriving in this way already totals more than 250 this year - a significant increase from the total of 179 refugees intercepted during the whole of 2008. |
| Australia's opposition has linked this upsurge with a relaxation of the country's immigration policy since Kevin Rudd became prime minister in late 2007. | Australia's opposition has linked this upsurge with a relaxation of the country's immigration policy since Kevin Rudd became prime minister in late 2007. |
| The Rudd government scrapped the widely-criticised policy of his predecessor, John Howard, under which asylum-seekers and their children were detained for years in special centres in Nauru or Papua New Guinea, a plan labelled the "Pacific Solution". | The Rudd government scrapped the widely-criticised policy of his predecessor, John Howard, under which asylum-seekers and their children were detained for years in special centres in Nauru or Papua New Guinea, a plan labelled the "Pacific Solution". |
| Asylum-seekers now arriving by boat are held on Christmas Island, but their claims must be expedited, with six-monthly case reviews by an ombudsman now government policy. | Asylum-seekers now arriving by boat are held on Christmas Island, but their claims must be expedited, with six-monthly case reviews by an ombudsman now government policy. |
| Mr Rudd defended his policy on Friday, saying: "We are dedicating more resources to combat people smuggling than any other government in Australian history." | Mr Rudd defended his policy on Friday, saying: "We are dedicating more resources to combat people smuggling than any other government in Australian history." |