Indonesia claim: Australia tried to turn back boat Curious, and I suspect the Indonesians aren't giving us the accurate account. INDONESIA'S search and rescue agency has claimed the Australian navy turned back an asylum-seeker boat 50km closer to the Java coast, a claim denied by Immigration Minister Scott Morrison... Basarnas chief of search and rescue evaluation Yopi Hariyadi claimed the fishing boat at the centre of the controversy over returning asylum-seekers to Indonesia was intercepted 107 nautical miles south of West Java last Thursday morning after the Australian Maritime Safety Authority first notified Jakarta of a distress call. The Australian request later in the morning to transfer those on board to Indonesian custody was made from a position 57 nautical miles south of the coast, according to Basarnas... Mr Yopi said Indonesia believed the fishing boat in the meantime had been guided back towards Indonesia by the Australian navy vessel. The Indonesian account would explain why Jakarta was adamant the following day it would not accept transfer of the 60 asylum seekers to Indonesian custody a decision Mr Morrison said lacked "rhyme or reason." The Indonesian account of the initial interception by HMAS Ballarat was flatly denied by Mr Morrison, who on Saturday ended the stand-off by directing that the 60 asylum-seekers and three crew be taken to Christmas Island. Meanwhile, Indonesia tries to shrink its obligations: Fairfax Media has been told that Indonesia is preparing to ask that its search and rescue area be reduced in size to limit its responsibility to undertake maritime operations in waters south of Java. Advertisement The change suggests growing Indonesian unease at being forced to accept asylum seekers rescued at sea by Australian authorities, and returned to Indonesian ports.