Australia: failing to scrape together a collective ounce of humanity since 2001

From the New York Times:

KAKINADA, India — Fleeing the bitter end of a quarter-century-long war, the refugees turned to a boat. It was first a shelter from artillery shells, then a frail craft to safety. Finally, it became a coffin.

The boat was adrift on the Indian Ocean for nine days. Jaya Niranjana’s 3-year-old daughter died. M. Yesudas lost his father, sister, nephew, brothers, and uncle — six in all. An 8-month-old baby, Kuberan, survived only because his mother somehow managed to breast-feed him until just hours before she died.

By the time these refugees fleeing the war in Sri Lanka reached Indian shores last Wednesday, 10 of the 21 original travelers had died or jumped overboard. They had nothing to eat and only saltwater to drink. The scorching sun beat down on their heads. Diarrhea struck. The first child died on April 24, then the others. S. Indira Meenan, 25, recalled it in halting English: “One by one. Dead babies, children. No food, no drink.”

“Twenty-fourth, dead; 25th; 26th,” he went on. “One by one. Dead.”

Guys, give Kevin Rudd a call! Clearly the solution to the problem is to turn back the boats! Or better still, to ensure people are never able to leave the place in which they are being bombed and brutalised. After all, that's what I've been hearing from both the Rudd government lately, with Kevin Rudd repeatedly boasting of his 'hardline' stance on refugees 'people smugglers', and (of course) the opposition who have a policy along the lines of 'if in doubt, resort to stirring up racial hatred'.

India should take a leaf out of Australia's book: if innocent men, women and children are dying before your very eyes, if you see people in desperate need, in dire circumstances, just look the other way. I mean, if a tree falls in the woods...