Australia today vowed there would be no further intrusions into Indonesian waters during its military-led crackdown on people-smuggling boats, after Jakarta demanded operations be suspended following repeated incursions.
Australia's new conservative government, elected in September, has re-introduced a policy of turning back asylum-seeker boats, many of which depart from Indonesian ports, when it is safe to do so.
It admitted on yesterday to several inadvertent intrusions into Indonesian waters as part of Operation Sovereign Borders, but said it was sticking to its policy designed to halt the arrival of asylum-seekers on unauthorised boats.
"We will not again see an inadvertent breach of Indonesia's territorial waters, we've taken steps to ensure that that doesn't happen again," Foreign Minister Julie Bishop told reporters in Perth today.
The incursions prompted a furious response from Jakarta, with Indonesia's Ministry for Political, Legal and Security Affairs saying they "constitute a serious matter in bilateral relations of the two countries".
Jakarta has demanded a suspension of operations and pledged to step up navy patrols along its southern maritime borders.
"We welcome cooperation from Indonesia in patrolling the waters where these people-smuggling boats are being launched," Bishop said, when asked about the increased Indonesian patrols.
"It is in their interests, it is in our interests to stop this evil trade," she added.
Asylum-seekers arriving on unauthorised boats in Australia are a sensitive issue for both sides, and Canberra's Operation Sovereign Borders to stop them has been received coolly in Jakarta.
Under Australia's so-called tow-back policy, asylum-seeker boats -- often wooden fishing vessels -- can be pushed back towards Indonesia, a move which Jakarta had previously suggested could infringe its sovereignty.
Asked whether the government would reconsider this element of the policy after the breaches, Bishop said: "We are absolutely committed to stopping people making that hazardous journey that has already led to over 1,000 deaths at sea.
