An Australian boat carrying pro-independence activists to Papua is edging closer to the Indonesian province despite continued warnings the vessel will be turned back.
A spokeswoman for the group says they have now completed the first phase of their mission, after a ceremony was held at sea at a secret location near the Australia-Indonesia border on Thursday with West Papuan elders and some of those from the Pog meeting in two smaller boats.
The so-called Freedom Flotilla - actually made up of one vessel called the Pog crewed by six people - has entered Indonesia's Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) and remains on course for the port city of Merauke in Papua.
The vessel, however, is yet to enter Indonesia's "territorial waters", an area that extends 12 nautical miles from the coastline.
Freedom Flotilla spokeswoman Izzy Brown said on Friday morning that the Pog was about 70 nautical miles from Papua and still heading for the Indonesian mainland, but that progress was slow due to wind conditions.
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It could be another 24 hours before the vessel reached the "territorial waters".
"We crossed the Indonesian water border (the EEZ) at about midnight (1am AEDT) last night and we're heading to Merauke," she told AAP via satellite phone from the yacht.
The group was warned by the Indonesian navy again on Friday to change course and abandon attempts to reach Merauke.
"We, as the guardian of law enforcement and sovereignty of Indonesia, will act based upon Indonesian standard operational procedure," Indonesian navy spokesman First Admiral Untung Suropati told AAP.
Admiral Suropati said he had received a text message from one of the activists aboard the Pog, Amos Wanggai, a West Papuan who fled Indonesia in 2006 and was given refugee status in Australia.
He said he was willing to enter into a dialogue with the group, but insisted they would not be allowed to enter Indonesia.
"As long as they're outside Indonesian water territory, they can do whatever they want. But when they cross, we will act based on Indonesian law and we're not alone in this. There are also police, the army, immigration and others involved," he said.
"Principally, any kind of non-peaceful crossing into Indonesian water territory will not be tolerated."
The Freedom Flotilla was initially made up of three boats with about 20 Australians and West Papuans aboard, and set sail from Cairns last month bound for Papua.
But due to mechanical problems just six activists aboard one boat, the Pog, are sailing the final leg of the journey.
