The website SIEVX.COM and AMAL BASRY, a survivor of the tragic sinking of SIEVX four years ago, have won the top SIEVX AWARDS 2005. These, the inaugural SIEVX AWARDS acknowledge the work and effort of organisations and people who have given freely of their time and expertise to honour those whose lives were lost and give comfort to those people whose lives have been cruelly altered by the tragedy of SIEVX.

How cruelly altered is our country when we cannot name recipients of an award for fear it may harm them professionally.

"THE JOURNALISTS in the mainstream media who placed morality and truth above their professional or political safety to write fearlessly about SIEVX. They know who they are and Australians owe them a great debt in these troubled times."

There will be no gala dinner, speeches, cash prizes fanfares or drum rolls for the SIEVX AWARDS. The recipients listed here will simply receive their award citation as an attachment to an email which they can frame and display if that is their wish.

The SIEVX AWARDS are an initiative of JANNAH THE SIEVX MEMORIAL details of the memorial follow the list of awards and recipients which appears below starting with the two major awards.


THE SIEVX AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE

· Goes to SIEVX.COM in recognition of the most comprehensive and objective body of work. Unique, independent and scholarly, the sievx.com website is the virtual encyclopaedia of the tragedy of SIEVX. It is the only detailed archive on the subject. The sievx.com commentaries, such as 'SIEVX & the DFAT Cable: The Conspiracy of silence' provide primary research based on thorough investigation of carefully checked and footnoted material. Sievx.com has led the call for the release of the names of those who died.
 http://sievx.com/

THE SIEVX AWARD FOR COURAGE

· Goes to AMAL BASRY who believed she had survived the sinking of SIEVX because she had to bear witness and she has never lost sight of that responsibility. Each day she faces the demons that SIEVX left her with and gathers her strength to stand strong in the face of them. Her gift is communication and she moved hundreds to understand the lived experience of the SIEVX tragedy.

THE SIEVX AWARDS FOR POLITICAL LEADERSHIP

· SENATOR JOHN FAULKNER for his political oratory and intense questioning of witnesses at the CMI inquiry and in Senate Committees. “And what about the vessel now known as SIEVX, part of the people-smuggling operation of the notorious people smuggler Abu Quassey? That vessel set sail on 18 October 2001 and sank on 19 October 2001, drowning 353 people, including 142 women and 146 children. Were disruption activities directed against Abu Quassey? Did these involve SIEVX? I intend to keep asking questions until I find out. And, Mr Acting Deputy President, I intend to keep pressing for an independent judicial inquiry into these very serious matters. At no stage do I want to break, nor will I break, the protocols in relation to operational matters involving ASIS or the AFP. But, those protocols were not meant as a direct or an indirect licence to kill.” (Extract from Senator John Faulkner's 3 Short Speeches to the Senate ~ 23-25 September 2002)



· SENATOR BOB BROWN for tenacity and steadfastness in continuing to demand answers to fundamental questions about the sinking: i.e. the names of those who drowned and the location where the tragedy occurred.



· SENATOR ANDREW BARTLETT of the Democrats who in October 2003 with the support of the ALP and the Greens moved a motion which resulted in the Senate expressing regret and sympathy for the loss of the 353 people who were on their way to join family and loved ones waiting in Australia. It was an historic moment - the first motion of condolence for any asylum seeker in our country's recent history and it was ignored by the Australian media. "It will be a day and a date I will always remember, because 19 October 2001, the day that all those children drowned, was the same day that my first and only daughter, Lillith, was born. She is, in my view, the most beautiful girl ever born - I apologise to everybody else who might have children, but that is just the way it is and to think that, at the same time that she was being born and all the wonder that goes with that, there were 146 children whose lives were about to end as they struggled in the water in such fear and terror. It is indeed a tragedy, and it is one that should be remembered." (extract from his speech)


· FORMER SENATOR JACINTA COLLINS for the hard work she did seeking the truth about SIEVX during and after the CMI Inquiry and in keeping the issue alive and trying to call the government to account.



THE SIEVX AWARDS – COMMUNICATION

· THE JOURNALISTS in the mainstream media who placed morality and truth above their professional or political safety to write fearlessly about SIEVX. They know who they are and Australians owe them a great debt in these troubled times.



· KEYSAR TRAD for translating the survivors’ accounts and providing an English transcript of a videotape that was made of the survivors of the SIEVX disaster at Bogor in the week following the wreck in October 2001. This translation was the key to understanding the terrible tragedy of SIEVX, life altering to those who read it and attracting all who later took up the cause of SIEVX.
 http://sievx.com/articles/disaster/KeysarTradTranscript.html

· PROJECT SAFECOM and AUSNEWS who since the beginning have distributed news and information about SIEVX
 http://www.safecom.org.au  http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Ausnews/



· TONY KEVIN for bringing the SIEVX issue before the Senate for investigation and for dedicating his retirement to SIEVX.  http://tonykevin.com/



· THE SIEVX SCRIBES They were there from the moment they were aware of the sinking, before the doomed boat had a name. MARILYN SHEPHERD, KATE WILDERMUTH, KAY KAN, HELEN TAIT and many others are the scribes of SIEVX. They have worked individually and collectively to keep SIEVX in the public consciousness. In the letters pages and feedback columns of the media and on the internet they have taken on bullies, heroes, reporters and politicians. They have assisted writers with useful research. Many of them have not had a day off since October 2001.



THE SIEVX COMMUNITY AWARDS

· ASYLUM SEEKER RESOURCE CENTRE for the kindness and caring they have shown survivors and families of SIEVX who have needed their help. Since opening their doors in June 2001, the ASRC has become the largest provider of aid, advocacy and health services for asylum seekers in Australia. They work directly with asylum seekers, both living in our community and detention, to provide direct aid and support. They also campaign and lobby on behalf of asylum seekers and all Australians who want to change the unjust asylum seeker related policies that Australia has adopted. Most importantly,
in times of despair and hopelessness, they offer comfort, friendship, hope and respite.
 http://www.asrc.org.au/



· KEN PARTRIDGE In Tasmania at the 2002 SIEVX Memorial, people strung lines of dedicated cards and brought flowers to Princes Park opposite Chalmers. Under great oaks they sheltered for readings, while rain squalls buffeted the little boat cards. Ken from the bell tower rang out a peal which began the people on a silent procession to Civic Square. 353 peals rang out. And Ken alone, counting on a hand held register, felt his heart rendered with the physical effort and the profundity of each toll.



· JAMES BOYCE and THE HOBART CITY COUNCIL. There is a special seat at a key point on a lovely and popular habourside nature walk to the Cornelian Bay cemetery. People can sit there and look out to sea remembering the 353 of SIEVX. James Boyce, a member of TasForRefugees wrote to the council [Hobart City Council] to get permission for the SIEVX memorial and the full council supported it. The Lord Mayor Rob Valentine has been especially supportive.



· SUE HOFFMAN and INDRA KAUR have both played a big part in helping bereaved family members of SIEVX victims living in Perth to set up the incorporated association Family of SIEVX, an initiative of husbands and fathers living in Australia who lost entire families when the boat sank. Sue deserves special mention, having helped raise funds for three bereaved men to attend the Brisbane trial of Khaleed Daoed, an alleged member of the Abu Quassey people smuggling syndicate. Sue also travelled with the men to offer support and assistance during their time in Brisbane. Because of this venture, it is very likely that Family of SIEVX Inc. will make contact with most of the SIEVX survivors scattered around the world in faraway countries such as Finland, Canada and Norway which will greatly assist the Association achieve its mission statement.
 http://groups.yahoo.com/group/FamilyofSIEVX/



· STEVE BIDDULPH for his effort in attempting to establish a physical memorial to the SIEVX tragedy on Australian soil.
 http://sievxmemorial.com/  http://stevebiddulph.com/


THE SIEVX AWARDS FOR ARTS AND MUSIC

· KATE DURHAM for her Beauty and Cruelty exhibition which was dedicated to the courageous Amal Basry and featured a wall devoted to SIEVX covered with 130 small paintings of faces and bodies in the ocean. "People cannot connect emotionally to events if there are no pictures," says the artist and is determined to continue until she has painted all 353 people who drowned, no matter how long it takes.
 http://www.katedurham.com/



· PAT HOFFIE for her installation entitled Drift, constructed as a memorial to those who died in the SIEVX. It consists of a large cardboard wedge built to the scale of the refugee boat, with wall drawings representing each individual it carried, contrasted with the anonymous, bureaucratic codename it was given.
 http://sievx.com/articles/mentions/2005/20051013PatHoffie.html

· THOSE BLOODY MCKENNAS for their song about SIEVX - 'Time and Tide' – online at sievx.com
 http://www.thosebloodymckennas.com/



· MIA DYSON for her song about Sondos Ismael - 'Christmas Island' - online at sievx.com
 http://www.miadyson.com/



THE SIEVX FOUNDER’S AWARDS

· CYNDY HIGGINS RICH for her indefatigable and unwavering support of SIEVX and as the United States co-ordinator of JANNAH THE SIEVX MEMORIAL



· LES BLOUGH the Editor of the prestigious E-zine AXIS OF LOGIC for his unstinting support of SIEVX and JANNAH THE SIEVX MEMORIAL
 http://www.axisoflogic.com/



· MARC PARENT the courageous Canadian internet human rights advocate who has done so much to get the story of SIEVX around the world. Publisher and editor of Crimes and Corruptions of the New World Order.
 http://www.livejournal.com/users/mparent7777/



· MATT HAMON whose internet artistry, understanding of all things technical and compassion gave JANNAH THE SIEVX MEMORIAL it’s unique visual identity.



· LYNDA SMITH and ARIEL SMITH Lynda and her son Ariel have taken up the baton of JANNAH THE SIEVX MEMORIAL during difficult times.



ABOUT JANNAH THE SIEVX MEMORIAL

On the 19th of October 2001, a tiny fishing boat bound for Australia, sank in international waters and 353 people died. Fearing death in their countries of birth they believed they would find freedom and peace in Australia. They believed in Australia. Family members awaited their arrival in Australia They were so close and they wanted to be Australian citizens. After Australia closed her borders that tiny doomed boat was their last and only hope.

This memorial is a place to acknowledge and remember the 353 precious lives that were lost to us in the tragedy. We can think of each of the 146 children, each of the 142 women and each man who died. We honour their lives and grieve their sad and terrifying passing. They were not numbers - they were people just like us - we should be told their names.

This is a place to offer sympathy to those who survived twenty horrific hours surrounded by death and expecting to die. Some saw their babies die and witnessed the last painful moments of their children, their husbands and their wives, their mothers and their fathers, their sisters and their brothers. Others separated from their families suffered alone not knowing what had become of them until much later. This is place to offer comfort to those who will never again see the face of those they loved or feel their touch.

LET YOUR MESSAGE OF CONDOLENCE HONOUR THE LOST OF SIEVX
JANNAH THE SIEVX MEMORIAL is dedicated to compassion and remembrance and the triumph of the human spirit.
You are welcome to add your tributes, thoughts or prayers for the people of SIEVX.  http://sievxmemorial.org/

The SIEVX AWARDS © MARY DAGMAR DAVIES 2005




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THE PATRONS OF JANNAH THANK YOU FOR YOUR HUMANITY
AMAL BASRY ~ NOAM CHOMSKY ~ ELLNOR GRASSBY ~ MARGARET REYNOLDS ~ MARION LÉ ~ EVA SALLIS ~ ANDREW BARTLETT ~ FRANK BRENNAN ~ JULIAN BURNSIDE ~ ANDREW WILKIE ~ BILL CREWS ~ PHILLIP ADAMS ~ JOHN VALDER ~ SUE HOFFMAN ~ JANE KEOGH ~ BOB ELLIS ~ HASSAN GHULAM ~ BONI ROBERTSON ~ KATE DURHAM ~ JOHN AMOS ~ PAMELA CURR ~ FREDERIKA STEEN ~ MURRANDOO YANNER ~ MARILYN SHEPHERD ~ STEVE GEORGOPOULOS ~ CLAIRE MOORE ~ JUDYTH WATSON ~ MOHAMED AL JABIRI ~ NGARETA ROSSELL ~ MAQSOOD ALSHAMS ~ RICHARD NEVILLE ~ CYNDY HIGGINS RICH ~ LES BLOUGH ~ ARNOLD ZABLE ~ PHIL GLENDENNING ~ LOUISE NEWMAN ~ BRONWYN BANCROFT ~ ALEX BROUN ~ SHEILA ASTOLFI ~ ROSIE SCOTT ~ ALAN FINNEY ~ PHILIPPA FINNEY ~ CARMEN LAWRENCE ~ KERRY NETTLE ~ HELEN NEWMAN
Mary Dagmar Davies ~ Founder

JANNAH THE SIEVX MEMORIAL © MARY DAGMAR DAVIES 2002