Disease and monsoon strike Tamil sit-in

ASYLUM-seekers who are refusing to leave a boat in the Indonesian port of Merak claim sickness is sweeping through their ranks, with several taken to hospital at the weekend suffering acute diarrhoea.

For more than a month, the 250 Tamil asylum-seekers have staged a sit-in on the wooden fishing boat, refusing to enter Indonesian detention amid threats they would be immediately returned to Sri Lanka.

Monsoonal rains lashed the boat at the weekend, worsening conditions on the vessel which has only one toilet and limited shelter for sleeping.

Refugee advocates yesterday told The Australian they have been providing medical advice over the telephone to the asylum-seekers, who have staged a sit-in on the boat since they were escorted into harbour on October 11.

Several of the asylum-seekers have been taken to hospital in recent days after the International Organisation for Migration -- which was providing food and medical support -- withdrew its staff a week ago because of growing tension on board the boatThe Tamils, led by spokesman Sanjeev Kuhendrarajah, better known as "Alex," said up to 60 people on the boat, including children, have suffered some form of stomach sickness or diarrhoea in the past week.

"People are getting sick, we have had several taken to hospital in the past few days who are vomiting or suffering severe diarrhoea," he told The Australian over the telephone.

"We have no medical supplies or anything to treat these people, as everyone has abandoned us.

"Sometimes the navy comes to check on us, and that is when we are able to send people to hospital, but otherwise we have been relying on medical advice over the telephone from Australia.

"I fear the situation is only going to get worse, because the monsoon rains have begun and many people are getting wet while they sleep."

Brisbane-based physician Brian Senewiratne has been providing medical advice over the telephone and says local authorities have only moved the sick to hospital after he made contact.

"These people seem to be eating contaminated food and they have largely been left behind to fend for themselves," he said. "It is a very dangerous situation, there is no reliable medical support. If they are not looked after, given the conditions they are living in, they could get very, very sick."

Despite the sickness and worsening conditions, the Tamils are still refusing to leave the boat.

Although the Indonesians have withdrawn the threat of deporting them back to Sri Lanka, the Tamils are now demanding to be fast-tracked for resettlement in the same way as the 78 asylum-seekers who were last week lured off the Oceanic Viking.

"We want to be treated the same," Alex said.

But it is unlikely they will be given the same deal as those on the Oceanic Viking, who will be resettled in four to 12 weeks if their refugee claims are proved to be genuine. Unlike those on the Oceanic Viking, the asylum-seekers in Merak are not on an Australian vessel and were not intercepted by the Australian navy.