Jakarta - Indonesia has condemned Australian naval incursions into its waters as a "violation of its sovereignty". Australia has apologised to Indonesia, saying its navy vessels "inadvertently" made the incursions during operations to stop asylum seekers. Indonesia has asked Australia to suspend these operations until the incidents have been clarified.
The row comes amid reports Australia's navy have been pushing boats carrying asylum-seekers back to Indonesia. At a press conference, Australian Immigration Minister Scott Morrison said the violations, which had occurred several times, had not been sanctioned by the government.
Australia took its "shared commitment with Indonesia to mutually respect the sovereignty of each nation very, very seriously", he said, adding that the foreign minister would offer an "unqualified apology". Lieutenant General Angus Campbell, who leads operations to prevent boats carrying asylum seekers arriving in Australia, blamed the violations on "positional errors".
"We have never intended for our assets to operate or to enter the sovereign territory of another nation," he said. Indonesia said in a statement on Friday that it "deplores and rejects the violation of its sovereignty and territorial integrity by Australian vessels". It would "intensify its maritime patrols in areas where violations of its sovereignty and territorial integrity are at risk", it added.
"Indonesia demands that such [asylum] operations conducted by the Australian government that led to this incident be suspended until further clarification is received." The Australian government has been under scrutiny over asylum policy in recent days amid reports of boats being turned back to Indonesia.
Indonesia serves as a transit point for people-smugglers, who ferry people to Christmas Island, the closest part of Australian territory, on rickety boats. The number of boats rose sharply in 2012 and the beginning of 2013, and dozens of people have died making the journey.
When Prime Minister Tony Abbott's Liberal-National Coalition ousted Labor last year, it initiated Operation Sovereign Borders, giving the military control over the response to people-smugglers, and vowed to stop the boats. In recent days multiple reports have emerged in Australian and Indonesian media of boats carrying asylum seekers being towed back to Indonesian waters by Australian navy vessels. (FA)
