Australia attends Jakarta maritime talks 

INDONESIAN immigration officers in the area where asylum seekers set off for Australia - and where the first orange lifeboat came back - say they are undermanned and overwhelmed, but still stopped almost 1000 people risking their lives last year.

Australia's Defence Minister David Johnston is visiting Jakarta on Wednesday as the difficult period in relations with Indonesia continues.
Defence co-operation was wound back late last year after reports of Australian intelligence monitoring the phones of Indonesia's leaders.
Then Australia apologised to Indonesia when it learned its vessels had breached its territory during operations to turn asylum seekers away.

Senator Johnston, accompanied by Defence force chief General David Hurley, will attend the fourth annual Jakarta International Defence Dialogue, where co-operation on asylum seekers is up for discussion.
In west Java, Indonesia's frontline of the problem, immigration officers stopped 984 people from making the dangerous journey last year, Sukabumi Immigration Office chief Irfan Sapari says.
"Some were stranded, some were intercepted by the police when they were on land," he told AAP.
The officers' area includes the port where an orange lifeboat was taken in January, after asylum seekers were apparently sent back by Australian Navy and Customs at the border.
Chief Sapari says his crew of six lacks a vehicle capable of getting to remote beaches like those where more capsules have washed up since.
"At the moment, we only have one Kijang Innova vehicle as an operational vehicle and that's usable while we're in town," he said.
"But to reach difficult areas, it's hard.
"But it's our job. We have to make it with what we have."
Another officer, Eryana Sastra, worries about the dry season ahead, which usually sees an upsurge in activity.
"It's a hugely vast area for our co-ordination and we have limitations in mobility," he said.
Asylum seekers are willing to take the risk even in terrible conditions, he says, so they must always be vigilant.
"It could be any time," he said.
Indonesia has expressed discomfort with the boat turnback policy. Australian officials have confirmed they bought lifeboats but won't discuss their use.

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