Another Refugee's Story

I just received news that Amal Basry, a survivor of the SIEV X tragedy of October 2001, died in hospital yesterday from cancer. It is the courage of people like her which provides me with extra energy to work for the things that I believe are important. I recommend reading the detailed account of her story which is on the SIEVX.com website.

353 people drowned on the SIEV X - Amal was one of fewer than 50 survivors of the sinking, adrift in the water for around 20 hours before being rescued by Indonesian fishing boats. Her son Rami also survived, quite possibly only because when she was first rescued, Amal pushed the fishermen to keep searching for her son and other survivors.

It then took 8 months before the Australian government would allow her and her son into the country on a temporary visa, despite Amal’s husband already living here recognised as a refugee. (of course, if she hadn’t had that direct family connection, she probably would not have been allowed to enter at all). It took a further 3 years of uncertainty before she was finally granted a permanent refugee visa in 2005.

Amal’s great contribution was not just her courage and endurance in surviving such a tragedy. It was her determination to continue to be a voice making people aware of the reality of the SIEV X tragedy, even though this meant she had to continually relive the experience. She did this for much of this time while also facing the fight with the cancer that has now claimed her life.

Bearing witness is an ancient concept. It is an often solitary and lonely role - sometimes done to be a voice for others who are gone or who have no voice. Its impact can rarely be measured in a definitive way, but it is often unmistakable none the less.