OBSESSION AGAINST THE LEAKY BOATS: SECURITIZATION OF AUSTRALIA POLICIES IN MANAGING UNAUTHORIZED BOAT ARRIVALS AFTER THE TAMPA INCIDENT (2001-2013)

Abstract

Ever since its first arrival in 1976, Boat people has been the center of controversy in Australia. Especially since 1999, the number of boat arrivals had surge significantly, carrying asylum seeker mostly from Middle East and Sri Lanka. Almost all of the boat people conduct their journey with the help from people smuggler. Following the Tampa incident in 2001, Australia's immigration and security policy reach its harsh turning point. Prime Minister John Howard was the first one who formulated a draconian policy called the Pacific Solution. Ever since then, the issue of unauthorized boat arrivals has continued to rank high in Australia political-security agenda with subsequent Prime Ministers after Howard chose to follow his step in demonizing the boat arrivals. It is shocking that a country with strong record of protecting civil and political rights has chosen to put the problem of boat people as security-emergency instead of humanitarian one. In light of that contradiction, this research seeks to further explanation of how boat arrivals have influenced Australian security policy especially after the Tampa incident. This research concludes that process of securitization has brought the issue of boat arrivals to occupy important position in Australia security discussion. Politician had often thrown speech act by framing the boatpeople as "them" who misused Australian generosity and threatening national border. Within the time frame of 2001-2013 it can be seen that a security logic wherein boat arrivals are treated as threat has widely legitimized, apparent from public opinion regarding the issue. For more than a decade since the Tampa incident, the issue of boat arrivals has been consistently present in Australia policy making discussion. While Canberra's policy concerning asylum seekers has constantly garnered wide criticism from human rights supporter, the securitization process which takes place within years has shifted the discussion about boat arrivals from human rights protection to a matter of border protection.