Prime Minister Kevin Rudd has brushed off emotional appeals from Tamils aboard the boat he had the Indonesians intercept, and whose fate is at the centre of a political row over asylum seekers.The 253 asylum seekers, who have refused to leave the boat for five days, last night started a hunger strike and erected a banner in a bid for ''international community support''.This followed a plea from nine-year-old girl, Brindha, who wept before the Australian media. ''Please help us and save our lives. We are your children. Please think of us, please, please,'' she said, recounting a month in a Malaysian jungle waiting for people smugglers to collect them.''Please sir, please take us to a country. It's OK if it is not Australia. It's better if any other country takes us. We can't live in Sri Lanka.''
- The Age