The Claim
“Crossed into Indonesian waters without authorisation again, then abandoned a boat without enough fuel to get to shore, forcing asylum seekers to swim for an hour to get to shore.”
Original Sources Provided
✅ FACTUAL VERIFICATION
The claim refers to multiple incidents that occurred in late December 2013 and early January 2014 under the Abbott government's Operation Sovereign Borders.
The first incident (December 2013):
Indonesian authorities reported that the Australian Navy intercepted an asylum seeker boat carrying 47 mostly Somali and Sudanese asylum seekers on December 13, 2013, forcing them back toward Indonesia. The boat subsequently ran out of fuel and ran aground on Rote Island, Indonesia on December 19, 2013 [1]. Indonesian police chief Hidayat stated the asylum seekers were "pushed" back by the Australian Navy after being intercepted en route to the Ashmore Islands [1].
The second incident (Christmas 2013):
A separate incident involved 42 asylum seekers on a boat that reached Christmas Island on December 23, 2013. According to asylum seeker Rahman Ali, after their fuel ran out, an Australian mechanic provided fuel and checked their engine. The boat was then towed back toward Indonesia over three days. On December 27, Australian personnel removed the fuel containers and departed, leaving the boat near southern Java. The engine stopped before reaching shore, forcing passengers to swim for approximately an hour to reach land [2]. Two asylum seekers reportedly jumped overboard during the tow-back operation in apparent suicide attempts [2].
Regarding the "Indonesian waters" claim:
The Australian government subsequently admitted that Australian border protection vessels had "inadvertently" breached Indonesian territorial sovereignty on multiple occasions during these operations [3]. Immigration Minister Scott Morrison acknowledged the violations and the Australian government formally apologized to Indonesia on January 17, 2014 [3][4].
Missing Context
The claim omits several critical pieces of context:
Operational Context:
The Abbott government had explicitly campaigned on and implemented a "boat turnback" policy as part of Operation Sovereign Borders, which began in September 2013 [5]. This policy was publicly announced and formed a central part of the government's border protection platform. The operations were conducted with the stated goal of preventing asylum seeker deaths at sea and disrupting people-smuggling operations [5].
Government Response:
When reports of these incidents emerged, the government maintained a policy of not commenting on "on-water matters" for operational security reasons [1]. However, after Indonesia raised concerns about territorial violations, the Australian government acknowledged and apologized for the incursions [3].
Strained Bilateral Relations:
These incidents occurred against a backdrop of already strained Australia-Indonesia relations following revelations of Australian spying on Indonesian officials (the "spying scandal") [1]. The boat turnback policy had been a point of contention since before this diplomatic tension.
Source Credibility Assessment
Sydney Morning Herald (Michael Bachelard):
The Sydney Morning Herald is a mainstream Australian newspaper with a reputation for credible journalism. Media bias assessments indicate it has a "somewhat left" political leaning but maintains high factual accuracy standards [6]. The reporter, Michael Bachelard, is a senior journalist and former deputy editor with multiple journalism awards [2]. The SMH article is based on direct testimony from an asylum seeker (Rahman Ali) and corroborated by Indonesian authorities.
ABC News:
ABC News is Australia's public broadcaster, widely considered neutral and authoritative. The ABC's reporting on this issue was based on Indonesian government sources (Antara newswire) and local Indonesian police reports [1].
Overall Assessment: The original sources are from reputable mainstream media outlets with established credibility. While there may be minor political leanings, the factual reporting on these incidents was based on official Indonesian sources and direct testimony.
Labor Comparison
Did Labor do something similar?
Search conducted: "Labor government offshore processing asylum seekers Indonesia boat policy"
Finding: The Labor government (Gillard/Rudd 2007-2013) did not implement boat turnbacks to Indonesia. However, they did implement the "Pacific Solution" (reopened by Gillard in August 2012) which established offshore processing centers on Nauru and Manus Island [7][8]. In July 2013, the Rudd government announced the "PNG Solution" - the Regional Resettlement Arrangement - whereby all asylum seekers arriving by boat would be sent to Papua New Guinea for processing and resettlement, with no possibility of settlement in Australia [9][10].
Comparison:
- Coalition (2013-2022): Implemented boat turnbacks to Indonesia, which involved towing or escorting boats back to Indonesian waters
- Labor (2012-2013): Implemented offshore processing on Nauru and Manus Island, and the PNG Solution sending all boat arrivals to Papua New Guinea
Both approaches were designed to deter asylum seekers from attempting dangerous boat journeys to Australia. The Labor policy effectively outsourced asylum processing to Pacific nations, while the Coalition policy directly returned boats to Indonesia. Both policies drew criticism from human rights organizations and created diplomatic tensions, though Labor's approach did not involve direct territorial violations of Indonesian waters.
The offshore processing policy has continued under subsequent governments of both parties, with the most recent Labor government (2022-present) maintaining offshore detention arrangements [11].
Balanced Perspective
Government Justification:
The Coalition government maintained that Operation Sovereign Borders, including boat turnbacks where safe to do so, was necessary to:
- Prevent deaths at sea from dangerous boat journeys
- Disrupt people-smuggling operations
- Maintain the integrity of Australia's immigration system [5]
The government also emphasized that it respected Indonesian territorial sovereignty and any violations were inadvertent [3].
Critics' Perspective:
Critics, including the Greens and refugee advocacy groups, argued that:
- The turnback policy placed asylum seekers in danger
- The incidents demonstrated a disregard for safety and international law
- The "operational secrecy" prevented proper accountability [1]
Key Context: This approach was not unique to the Coalition in its fundamental goal of deterring boat arrivals, though the specific method (direct turnbacks vs. offshore processing) differed. The Labor government's PNG Solution was described by critics as equally harsh, completely violating the human rights of boat arrivals by sending them to PNG with no chance of Australian settlement [10]. Both parties have used hardline deterrence policies, with the Coalition choosing direct turnbacks and Labor choosing offshore processing and third-country resettlement.
The incidents described in the claim were part of a broader policy framework that had been explicitly promised to voters and implemented with the stated goal of saving lives, though the execution raised legitimate concerns about safety and respect for Indonesian sovereignty.
TRUE
6.0
out of 10
The claim is factually accurate. Multiple credible sources confirm that Australian Navy vessels:
- Did cross into Indonesian waters without authorization (admitted by the Australian government and formally apologized for) [3][4]
- Did tow or escort asylum seeker boats back toward Indonesia, resulting in at least one boat running out of fuel and being abandoned [1][2]
- The passengers on one boat did have to swim for approximately an hour to reach shore after the boat's engine failed [2]
However, the claim as presented lacks important context about the government's stated rationale (deterring dangerous voyages), the public nature of the policy, and the fact that Labor governments implemented similarly hardline policies using different methods (offshore processing). The claim frames these as isolated incidents of misconduct rather than as part of a broader, publicly declared policy with both supporters and critics.
Final Score
6.0
OUT OF 10
TRUE
The claim is factually accurate. Multiple credible sources confirm that Australian Navy vessels:
- Did cross into Indonesian waters without authorization (admitted by the Australian government and formally apologized for) [3][4]
- Did tow or escort asylum seeker boats back toward Indonesia, resulting in at least one boat running out of fuel and being abandoned [1][2]
- The passengers on one boat did have to swim for approximately an hour to reach shore after the boat's engine failed [2]
However, the claim as presented lacks important context about the government's stated rationale (deterring dangerous voyages), the public nature of the policy, and the fact that Labor governments implemented similarly hardline policies using different methods (offshore processing). The claim frames these as isolated incidents of misconduct rather than as part of a broader, publicly declared policy with both supporters and critics.
📚 SOURCES & CITATIONS (11)
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1
abc.net.au
Indonesian authorities say the Australian Navy forced an asylum seeker boat back towards Indonesia, where it ran out of fuel and ran aground. The incident allegedly happened shortly before Christmas but has only just been reported in local Indonesian news outlets, after refugee rights activists noticed reports and posted them on Twitter. Indonesia's government newswire Antara says dozens of mostly Somali and Sudanese asylum seekers were arrested after their boat ran aground on Rote Island, in Indonesia's East Nusa Tenggara region, last month. Local police chief Hidayat says the people had been on a boat trying to get to the Ashmore Islands, but were intercepted by the Australian Navy and forced back to Indonesian waters.
Abc Net -
2
smh.com.au
Two asylum seekers jumped off their boat as the Australian Navy was taking them back to Indonesia around Christmas Day, in what a fellow passenger said was a suicide attempt.
The Sydney Morning Herald -
3
abc.net.au
The Australian Government has apologised to Indonesia after admitting vessels operating under its border protection policy had "inadvertently" breached Indonesian territorial sovereignty "on several occasions".
Abc Net -
4
news.com.au
News Com
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5
reuters.com
Reuters
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6
mediabiasfactcheck.com
LEFT-CENTER BIAS These media sources have a slight to moderate liberal bias. They often publish factual information that utilizes loaded words (wording
Media Bias/Fact Check -
7
en.wikipedia.org
Wikipedia -
8PDF
offshoreprocessing
Unsw Edu • PDF Document -
9
abc.net.au
Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd announcement that all asylum seekers who arrive by boat, without a visa, would be sent to Papua New Guinea never settled in Australia is the latest move in an asylum seeker policy that has faced many changes and challenges since the John Howard first introduced the 'Pacific Solution' in 2001.
Abc Net -
10PDF
PNG solution
Refugeeaction Org • PDF Document -
11
rac-vic.org
Refugee Action Collective (Vic) | Free the refugees! Let them land, let them stay!
Rating Scale Methodology
1-3: FALSE
Factually incorrect or malicious fabrication.
4-6: PARTIAL
Some truth but context is missing or skewed.
7-9: MOSTLY TRUE
Minor technicalities or phrasing issues.
10: ACCURATE
Perfectly verified and contextually fair.
Methodology: Ratings are determined through cross-referencing official government records, independent fact-checking organizations, and primary source documents.