Timor plan for boat people scrapped

Norway's ambassador saw conditions on board

The United Nations says Australia has abandoned plans to send a shipload of illegal migrants to East Timor.

They are very determined to come to Australia and nowhere else... that was definitely my impression

Ambassador Ove Thorsheim

The head of the UN administration in East Timor, Sergio Vieira de Mello, said Australia's Foreign Minister, Alexander Downer, had informed him they were no longer pursuing the option.

Word of the climbdown came as officials from Australia, Norway and Indonesia met at the headquarters of the UN refugee agency (UNHCR) in Geneva to discuss an emergency plan to resolve the crisis.

Norway's ambassador, Ove Thorsheim, who visited the ship on Friday, said the situation was stable and not yet serious, but he added the only viable solution was to land the people on Australia's Christmas Island.

That view is shared by the UNHCR in Geneva, which has presented a three-point plan to solve the crisis to Australia, Indonesia and Norway.

Emergency plan

UNHCR spokesman Ron Redmond said there was an immediate humanitarian need to get the people off the boat and the most logical solution was to allow them ashore to be processed.

UNHCR plan

1.Temporary disembarkation at Christmas Island

2.Immediate screening of asylum applicants

3. Transfer to third countries

No decision was reached on the UNHCR's proposals but the envoys are now consulting with their respective governments to see if they plan might be implemented.

East Timor's interim Foreign Minister Jose Ramos Horta had earlier said his country would "favourably" consider an Australian proposal for East Timor to offer temporary shelter to the 460 boat people.

But the proposal was immediately dismissed by Norway's Foreign Minister, Thorbjoern Jagland, who said it was "out of the question".

"It's meaningless to shove these problems onto one of the world's poorest countries," he said.

East Timor is itself only just beginning to recover from the destruction caused by Indonesian forces two years ago when the territory voted for independence.

Australia is refusing to allow the vessel, the Tampa, to unload its human cargo there, while Indonesia - from where the group set sail - has rejected requests to let the ship return.

Letter to Australia

Norwegian ambassador to Canberra, Ove Thorsheim, who spent six hours on board the Tampa, which is under military guard, said conditions were as good as could be expected.

"Co-operation between the crew, the military and the rescued people is good," he said.

But he added that water was running low, and water for washing was being rationed.

Crisis chronology

26 Aug: Tampa rescues 460 boat people

27 Aug: Sails to Christmas Island 'under duress'

29 Aug: Tampa enters Australian waters; troops storm vessel

30 Aug: Australia resists pressure to accept refugees

31 Aug: East Timor offers them sanctuary

Mr Thorsheim said he was carrying a letter from the boat people to the Australian Government.

"It's my impression that they are very determined to come to Australia and nowhere else," Mr Thorsheim said.

He said the crew were in good spirits, but were unhappy that they responded to Australia's call to go to the refugees' aid but are now being prevented from landing them on Australian soil.

Australian Prime Minister John Howard remains adamant that his country will not let the refugees land.

Mr Howard's policy has received wide support in Australia, where opinion polls say many Australians favour a hard line towards illegal immigration.