Asylum seeker boat issue becomes center of political debates in Australia

A boat carrying about 50 probable asylum seekers has sunk off the Indonesian coast, Australian Immigration Minister Scott Morrison said Wednesday in a statement while the issue of asylum seekers has once again became the center of political debates in Australia.

Morrison said the Australian government is aware of the incident near Cilograng, Indonesia, but no Australian authorities are involved in the rescue.

"We understand there are reportedly 50 people on board the vessel and reports indicate some people have entered the water and that local fishermen are and have been assisting," Morrison said.

On Tuesday, Prime Minister Tony Abbott refused to confirm or deny the report by the Australian Broadcast Company (ABC) that a people-swap deal talks has been underway between Indonesian and Australian governments.

When asked to confirm the report at a press conference in Canberra, Abbott said talks are under way with the Indonesian government "on a whole range of matters, at a whole range of different levels".

"I'm very pleased that we have such a close, constructive and cooperative relationship with the Indonesian government," he said.

ABC on Tuesday quoted Dewi Fortuna Anwar, adviser to Indonesian Vice-President Boediono, as saying that asylum seekers en route to Australia would be sent back to Indonesia in exchange for refugees sitting in detention centres there.

"The cost of the burdens would be borne by Australia," said Anwar.

The arrangement would be similar to the Malaysia deal negotiated by the previous Labor government but quashed by the High Court and rejected by parliament.

Under that deal, asylum seekers in detention in Australia would have been transferred to Malaysia. Australia would then have taken assessed refugees from Malaysia.

In response to the ABC report, Labor Shadow Treasurer Chris Bowen said the Abbott government needs to "come clean" on the discussions, especially as the coalition opposed the Malaysia deal.

Abbott responded to opposition questions in parliament on Wednesday about the issue, saying the coalition was talking to Jakarta about how to stop asylum seeker boats coming to Australia.

When interviewed by the ABC on this issue on Wednesday, Abbott said he's not interested in a "testosterone contest" with Indonesia over the issue of sending asylum seekers back.

"I am not going to run around beating my hairy chest and saying that I have out-stared someone and I am not going to say that someone has out-stared me."

Abbott said this was not a question of two countries trying to prove who was the toughest.

"It's a question of two good friends working together for an outcome which is clearly in the best interest of both of our countries."

While Abbott's ambiguity left an impression that Australia leaves the door open for people-swap deal with Indonesia, Morrison denied his government is having such talks.

"The Australian government is not engaged in people swaps," Morrison said Tuesday. "Our discussions (with Indonesia) are about handling of passengers rescued at sea, and ensuring people are taken to a place of safety as soon as possible."

Abbott had said that in the first two months of the new government, there was a 75 percent reduction in boat arrivals over the last two months of the old government; and in the month of October there was a 90 percent reduction over the peak month of July under the former government.

"So, while the boats certainly haven't stopped, they are, on the evidence, at least stopping," Abbott said.