Asylum sea search scaled back
The rescue operation to find survivors of the latest asylum seeker boat tragedy north of Australia is being scaled back.
Bad weather has made searching and rescuing difficult - and as each day passes, finding more survivors becomes far less likely.
Five bodies have been recovered so far and about 90 people are still unaccounted for.
The boat carrying 200 asylum seekers capsized between Indonesia and the Australian Indian Ocean territory of Christmas Island last Thursday.
In Australia, the political fallout surrounding government asylum-seeker policy remains in the background for the time being.
But that will change this week, when the national parliament sits once again..
So far, 109 asylum seekers including a 13-year-old boy have been rescued since the stricken boat was spotted in Indonesian waters.
No survivors have been found in over 24 hours and hopes of finding anyone else alive are fading.
All known survivors of the tragedy have now been brought to shore.
- 108 adult men and one 13-year-old boy rescued so far
- Three people confirmed dead and about 90 more remain missing
- Home Affairs Minister says rescuers have been ordered to start retrieving bodies
- A navy vessel took 96 survivors to Christmas Island; three were taken to hospital
- Up to six ships and several aircraft were on the scene
- Australian authorities say they knew the boat was in trouble early last Wednesday and told it to return to Indonesia
The search and rescue operation has involved navy ships, merchant vessels and aircraft.
Jo Meehan from the Australian Maritime Safety Authority said earlier there was still a chance more survivors may be found.
"We still are in the time period of survivability so today's search will continue to focus on recovering survivors," she said on Saturday.
Home Affairs Minister Jason Clare told the ABC's Lateline the rescue operation had passed the critical 36-hour mark - during which those lost have the best chance of surviving - and rescuers have been advised to find and retrieve bodies.
"We've been searching all day; we've had planes in the air, we've had merchant vessels looking as well. All we've found is debris," he said.
"We've found life jackets floating out there, but we haven't found people alive. We've seen a lot of dead bodies.
"Border Protection Command have now instructed the men and women that are out there in the search-and-rescue area to now identify people that have perished and retrieve their bodies.
"The planes and boats are still out there . . . but I guess I've got to say to you it's looking grimmer by the hour."
While the water was warm at 29 degrees, Mr Clare says conditions deteriorated late on Friday.
HMAS Wollongong ferried most of the survivors to Christmas Island on Friday morning and the remaining 16 were brought to shore overnight.
Three of the injured have been flown to Perth and are in a serious but stable condition in Royal Perth Hospital. Their injuries are unknown.
Friends of some of the asylum seekers missing after the incident say they are desperately waiting for news of their loved ones.
In Jakarta, failed asylum seeker Masoud says he is fearful his friend was on the capsized boat.
He received a call from the 41-year-old a few days earlier to say he was going to try and reach Australia, and to pray for him.
Now Masoud is frantically trying to reach him by phone, but so far has not made contact.
"I pray to God he wasn't in that boat, but if he is there is no chance," Masoud said.
He said his friend told him he was going on a boat with around 200 people from Afghanistan and Iran.
He decided that taking a people-smuggling boat was the best chance to start a new life, after his refugee application was rejected.
Indonesia remains uncertain about the source of the asylum seeker boat, how many people are involved and whether there are one or two boats.
Meanwhile backbench MPs from both major parties say they are willing to participate in bi-partisan talks aimed at breaking the political deadlock on border protection.
Liberal backbencher Judi Moylan, a long-time refugee advocate, says she is horrified more people have died trying to flee danger and a political solution must be negotiated.
"Just saying that we're going to stop the boats is simply not enough," she said.
Independent MP Tony Windsor has flagged gathering a group of MPs from across the parliament to try to break the political stalemate.
Ms Moylan says she would be happy to participate, as would Labor MP Steve Georganas.
"Of course it would have to be cleared by our caucus but I'm sure that as I said anything that would bring us closer to a solution I would love to be a part of," she said.
The proposal also has the backing of independent MP Rob Oakeshott.
The Liberal Party's Mal Washer is calling on the coalition to consider all options, including Labor's Malaysia solution.
But Amnesty International's campaign officer Hannah Harborow says that is not the answer.
"There needs to be a regional solution. The Australian Government and the opposition needs to work with our northern neighbours - needs to work with Indonesia and Malaysia on a regional solution and this isn't short ad hoc solutions like we've seen in the past like the Malaysia deal or Nauru or Manus Island," she said.
"There's no quick fix here, this is a long-term solution that's needed."