Indonesia unimpressed with boat 'push-back'

Indonesian Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa is unimpressed by fresh reports Australian authorities pushed back asylum seekers into Indonesian waters.

Dozens of asylum seekers were reportedly sent back into Indonesian waters aboard an Australian lifeboat, which later landed on a Javanese beach.

Mr Natalegawa on Thursday repeated his discomfort with Australia's push-back practice.

"We still think that pushing back boats is not the best solution," he told reporters.

Indonesian news service Kompas.com reports the group of Middle Eastern people were stranded on Pangandaran Beach, West Java, on Wednesday night.

They dispersed, but 34 were in the care of Indonesian police, the report on Thursday afternoon said.

Among them were pregnant women and children, the report said.

The asylum seekers said they had been pushed back by Australian authorities into Indonesian waters in the lifeboat after the boat they had been on crossed into Australian waters.

Kompas.com reported they ran out of fuel before stranding.

Ciamis water police chief Firmansyah said: "The boat is like a capsule, orange in colour and of fibre material."

He said three empty gas containers were inside.

An officer from Pangandaran water police, Sutikno, said the first 21 asylum seekers were found not far from where the boat washed ashore.

"Men, women, children and pregnant women were there," he said.

The boat was being guarded by police.

Comment was sought from Immigration Minister Scott Morrison.

The navy has reportedly bought 11 of the disposable lifeboats, but only two are known to have been sent to Indonesia.

Meanwhile, Mr Natalegawa was asked to comment on reports Australia had a new deal with Malaysia to co-operate on people smuggling in the Malacca Strait, responding that the problem of people smuggling involved a chain of countries.

"Indonesia and Australia are actually feeling the same impact of this, whether as a country of destination or as a transit country," he said.