Australia apologises to Indonesia for naval breaches of territory
Efforts to stop boats in Jakarta's territory likely to further strain relations
Jakarta yesterday demanded Australia suspend its military-led operation to halt the flow of asylum seekers in a furious response after Canberra apologised for intrusions by its navy into Indonesian waters.
Jakarta also pledged to step up navy patrols in its southern maritime borders, saying it "deplores and rejects the violation of its sovereignty" caused by the Australian incursions.
The response came after Australian Immigration Minister Scott Morrison expressed regret after revealing that navy vessels had "inadvertently" violated Indonesian waters during border security operations. However, he pledged Canberra would pursue its hardline policies to halt asylum-seeker boats.
The revelations about the Australian naval incursions added to tensions between the neighbours, already strained by a row over spying, with Jakarta responding furiously.
The ministry for political, legal and security affairs issued a statement saying that the naval incursions "constitute a serious matter in bilateral relations of the two countries".
The ministry also demanded a halt to Australia's Operation Sovereign Borders until assurances are received there will not be a repeat of such violations.
Jakarta said it would "intensify its maritime patrols", sending an extra naval ship to patrol its southern maritime borders around the island of Timor.
