Radio New Zealand - Te Reo Irirangi o Aotearoa

Man charged over Christmas Island tragedy

Updated at 4:06 pm on 13 May 2011

Australia has charged a man with people smuggling over the shipwreck tragedy at Christmas Island.

Ali Khorram Heydakhani, 40, an Iranian-born Australian citizen, appeared in court in Sydney on Thursday after being deported from Indonesia earlier in the day.

The BBC reports he was denied bail and will be tried in Western Australia. He was arrested in Indonesia on 25 January.

Up to 50 asylum seekers are believed to have died when their boat smashed into rocks off Christmas Island on 15 December last year.

Coastguards rescued 42 survivors - mainly Iranian, Iraqi and Kurdish asylum seekers - and recovered 30 bodies from the sea. It is thought that up to 20 more people remain unaccounted for.

The group was making their way to Australia via Indonesia. Three men who were on board the boat have already been charged.

More than 1700 asylum seekers are currently detained at an offshore processing centre on Christmas Island.

The island lies in the Indian Ocean about 2600km from the Australian mainland, but only 300km south of Indonesia.

Australia wants to deter asylum applicants from journeying to Australian waters by boat.

The BBC reports a deal was recently agreed with Malaysia to send 800 ''boat people'' for processing there.

The federal government is also reported to be in discussions with Papua New Guinea over the possible reopening of a detention camp on Manus Island.

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