The source said the people on board were from Pakistan and Afghanistan, and had been organised by people smugglers called Muzahir and Sher Ali.

The arrival is a loss of face for the Coalition, which vowed before the election that Australian authorities would not act as a taxi service for refugees. It may also encourage other people smuggling syndicates to try their hand.

The refugee source said people smugglers in West Java were talking about sending another boat within three days, or up to a week. About 30 people had already paid money to a trusted third party for the voyage, he said.

The stand-off led the Indonesian minister, Djoko Suyanto, to assert powerfully that the country would never take refugees from Australia under similar circumstances — a declaration that scuttles any chance that Mr Abbott's three-year old promise of turning back boats could become a reality under this Indonesian government.

"The Indonesian government never agreed to such wishes or policies by Australia," Indonesian co-ordinating minister for security Djoko Suyanto told the ABC on Friday.