PM Tony Abbott picked Indonesia for his first international trip and he will arrive in Jakarta later today for talks on border protection and asylum seekers, at least 31 of whom died last week when their vessel sank off the coast of Java.

“It is my hope that this visit establishes a convention for all future incoming prime minister to make Jakarta their first port of call overseas,” Mr Abbott said.

Abbott with meet with Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono in Jakarta, where Abbott’s pledge to “stop the boats” has met with criticism.  Jakarta says Abbott’s policy of sending boats with illegal migrants back risks violating Indonesia’s sovereignty.  Jakarta also isn’t thrilled with Abbotts’s idea of using informants to buy and destroy fishing vessels suspected of being involved in trafficking asylum seekers.