And now another hundred souls lost. Another hundred souls on all our consciences.

Responsibility is widely shared: by refugees themselves who risked this recourse, and the people smugglers; by the Indonesian government, which prefers to see overloaded, unseaworthy boats head south and reach, as soon as possible, some place on the open seas where they will effectively become Australia's responsibility, not their own. For all their talk about "Islamic solidarity", the Indonesian and Malaysian governments prefer to see themselves, and to serve, as transit points for Muslim refugees from Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan and Burma.

The refugees themselves, the Indonesian government, Australia ... the list of blamed for the latest asylum seeker tragedy is long. Credit:Getty Images

And then, also on the responsibility list, comes Australia. Perhaps all, or most, or many of us. Those to whom our populist politicians defer, whom they wish to placate. But especially upon those politicians who seek to mobilise fear and resentment, and to ride to power inflaming them further.

At the head of the list come those who have obstructed all progress towards implementation of the "Malaysian solution". That means especially Tony Abbott and his spokesman on immigration, the "hard man" in this awful passion play, and also the holier-than-thou Greens.