Natalegawa laments boat turnback policy

A former Indonesian foreign minister has warned that Australia's asylum seeker boat turnbacks are "inherently incompatible" with good bilateral relations.

Marty Natalegawa addressed a leadership conference at Australian National University on Monday and reiterated his view that the controversial policy is a slippery slope.

Mr Natalegawa, foreign minister in the government of president Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, said bilateral relations have been drawing down on the trust bank in recent years.

"National efforts should not be seen at the expense of bilateral and regional co-operation," he said.

Former Australian ambassador to Indonesia Bill Farmer said Prime Minister Tony Abbott had done a disservice to Australia's standing in the region before boat crisis talks in late May with his "nope, nope, nope" comment and emphatic refusal to accept any Rohingya refugees for resettlement.

Mr Farmer said Australia, in theory, is well placed to accept a small number of Rohingya refugees as part of a regional solution.

"I do believe we go too readily for the dog whistle on boats," Mr Farmer said.