INDONESIA has warned Australia not to expect to continue to offload asylum seekers on its shores following a mid-ocean stand-off in waters off the coast of Java.
Negotiations between Indonesian and Australian authorities were continuing on Friday in a bid to resolve the impasse more than 24 hours after the boat carrying more than 50 asylum seekers first issued a distress call as it made its way to Christmas Island.
There have been reports from Indonesian officials that as many as 63 people had been transferred from their boat to the Australian Customs vessel, the Ocean Protector, on Friday.
Immigration Minister Scott Morrison, at his weekly briefing on Friday, denied there was a stand-off between Indonesian and Australian authorities.
"What's important is the people who are the subject of our assistance are all accounted for," Mr Morrison said.
He said he wasn't in the business of offering "micro details" on military matters.
The commander of Operation Sovereign Borders, Lieutenant General Angus Campbell, also refused to provide details about the stand-off.
"I will not comment further in relation to on-water matters," Lieutenant General Campbell said three times, after reporters repeatedly questioned him on the matter.
Prime Minister Tony Abbott defended the government's reluctance to offer details of operations at sea, saying the important thing was to stop the boats.
"The best way to stop the boats is to ensure ... we are not providing a shipping news service for people smugglers," he told reporters in Melbourne.
But Indonesian officials on Friday morning were continuing to resist appeals from Australian authorities to offload the asylum seekers at a port in Java.
A spokesman for Djoko Suyanto, the Indonesian co-ordinating minister for Legal, Political and Security Affairs, said Jakarta was reluctant to accept them because the boat had been in working order when first approached by the Australian navy vessel HMAS Ballarat.
"From what I've been told, the boat was fine and they were not in danger. If that's the case, then we reject it," Agus Barnas told AAP on Friday.
"We don't want Indonesia to be a dumping ground, but we don't want Australia to accuse us of not doing anything. We want to respect Australia.
"At least for the time being we will not accept them."
The fact that Mr Djoko's office was so heavily involved, instead of the national search and rescue agency BASARNAS, also suggests Indonesia was treating the matter as more than simply operational, and that political considerations were playing a part.
The stand-off comes amid rising tensions between Canberra and Jakarta over the spying row that has threatened to derail cooperation in various areas, including people smuggling.
Indonesian Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa warned earlier this week that "the agreement to exchange information, exchange even intelligence information, in fact, to address the issue of people smuggling" would be reviewed in the wake of the spying allegations.
Foreign Minister Julie Bishop on Friday attempted to play down suggestions of a rift in relations between Jakarta and Canberra, but also refused to provide details of the unfolding drama off Java.
Shadow Immigration and Border Minister Richard Marles said Australians were finding out more about boats from the Indonesian government than Mr Morrison.
The boat had been bound for Australia when it issued a distress call at about 5.30am on Thursday morning.
Lt Gen Campbell confirmed the vessel first called for help about 43 nautical miles south of Java inside Indonesia's search and rescue zone.
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