By Patrick Gower
A row has broken out over the shipload of Sri Lankan asylum seekers caught off Indonesia with pleas to come to New Zealand.
Prime Minister John Key says it is possible they are on their way, but others like Amnesty International disagree.
On board the ships was a New Zealand flag and signs calling New Zealand "The Godfather".
But despite the prayers of the 85 Sri Lankan asylum seekers there is no sympathy, certainly not for the smugglers in charge.
“We don't want a bar of what these people are doing, they are criminals,” says Mr Key.
“These are people that are trying to jump the queue.”
Mr Key has raised fears they were destined for New Zealand shores - a warning he has been making for some time.
“The intelligence we’ve had is it’s a possibility they were coming to New Zealand.”
But not everyone agrees including – surprisingly – Mr Key's own Immigration Minister Jonathan Coleman.
He says there were no maps or charts on board showing the way to New Zealand, and the signs were likely just attempts to pressure our government to take their case.
“It’s probably pretty unlikely that New Zealand was their truly intended destination,” says Mr Coleman.
The Sri Lankan civil war ended more than two years ago and it has been reported that at least some of the Tamils on board had been living in Malaysia since.
That is close to where they were detained in Indonesia and they still had 7000km to get to New Zealand.
Amnesty International says that is way too far and Mr Key is scare-mongering.
“[He is] deliberately raising the temperature because he feels public opinion would be behind him and some votes in this,” says Patrick Holmes of Amnesty International.
Of the six known previous attempts by refugee boats to reach New Zealand, one is thought to have sunk, one was intercepted, and none got very far.
Mr Key says its "inevitable" one will make it one day and explained later that he knows more about this current ship than Mr Coleman.
“He hasn't had an intelligence briefing,” says Mr Key.
And Mr Coleman dutifully changed his lines.
“[Do you think they were coming here?] I don't know, I’ve only got the evidence we have before us but you can't rule it out,” he says.
A Tamil community spokesperson says New Zealand has the opportunity to save the lives of the 85 Sri Lankan refugees.
New Zealand Tamil Studies and Humanitarian Trust founder, Armurajan Thevarajan, wants Mr Key to change his mind:
“Please allow these people who are in need of a place to save their lives, give them at least temporary permit to see that they are not punished. You are only promoting the very genocide the government of Sri Lanka is doing,” he says.
Mr Thevarajan believes the group should be at least given temporary residence by authorities.
3 News / RadioLIVE