Memorial service to remember Siev X tragedy

People from all over Australia and parts of the Pacific region are in Canberra today to commemorate the fifth anniversary of the Siev X boat disaster.

The boat was carrying more than 350 asylum seekers in international waters when it sank off the northern coast of Australia in 2001.

Most of the passengers were killed.

Memorial co-founder Steve Biddulph says it is a chance to remember those who died.

"I think as a Dad, I particularly felt for the fathers of the Siev X, that they come to Australia to make a safe landing, in a way, for their families and to make sure things would be okay," he said.

"They were trying to get their families out of danger and in fact lost their families while trying to do that.

"I can't think of anything more dreadful to experience."

Mr Biddulph says the tragedy needs to be remembered.

"Our aim is to say these people drowned and we never want this to happen again," he said.

"It was one of the saddest in our history, one of the blackest moments in our modern history."