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SYDNEY, Sept 9 (AFP) - Australian warships intercepted another 237 asylum seekers in international waters at the weekend as the government conceded improved cooperation with Indonesia was unlikely in the near-term.

Two Australian warships intercepted an Indonesian-registered vessel, the Aceng, late Friday in international waters off Australia's far north-west coastline.

By Sunday, the Aceng's human cargo had joined more than 430 other asylum seekers also refused entry to Australia aboard HMAS Manoora as the warship steamed towards Papua New Guinea.

A defence ministry statement said the crew of the Balinese-registered Aceng ignored numerous warnings to turn away from Australian territorial waters.

Prime Minister John Howard said before departing for Washington that Jakarta had rejected Canberra's requests to board what the military described as a "people trafficking" vessel before it left Indonesian territorial waters.

The rejection of Australia's request followed the despatch of three senior ministers to Jakarta last week to discuss ways of curbing the lucrative people smuggling industry.

Defence Minister Peter Reith, Foreign Minister Alexander Downer and Immigration Minister Philip Ruddock were still locked in talks with Indonesian officials as the latest twist in the asylum drama unfolded.

Significantly, Indonesian President Megawati Sukarnoputri declined to meet the Australian delegation, and continues to remain aloof from talks to deal with what Canberra sees as Indonesia's role as a staging post for illegal immigrants.

Megawati also refused to accept Howard's phone calls at the height of what is known here as the 'Tampa affair', during which more than 430 asylum seekers were stranded at sea for more than a week.

Speaking in Jakarta overnight, Ruddock pointedly refused to criticise Indonesian authorities for delaying the boarding of the Aceng until the vessel had entered international waters, Australian Associated Press reported.

"I am not prepared to put myself in a situation in which the cooperation which is forthcoming is jeopardised by drawing observations about levels of cooperation," Australia's Immigration Minister said.

"I can say that there is still a way to go and we are about getting those objectives met.

"It's not a question of whether I am happy or not."

Australia's conservative government became the focus of sustained international criticism after more than 430 mainly Afghan asylum seekers were rescued off the remote north-west coast on August 26.

The boat people spent more than a week on the deck of the Norewegian freighter Tampa while it lay off Christmas Island, an Australian possession in the Indian Ocean.

Australia, Norway and Indonesia all refused to allow them to land, with a tense diplomatic dispute defused only by offers from New Zealand and Nauru to accept the refugees, who will transit in Papua New Guinea.

It remained unclear Sunday how the deals struck with the three South Pacific countries would be affected by the addition of 237 more boat people to the Manoora's human cargo.

"At no stage did this ... vessel reach Australian territorial waters. As a result, the questions of application for asylum status do not arise," Howard said Saturday.

He also foreshadowed an even tougher legislative stance against so-called boat people.

"The effect of that will be that any arrivals at Christmas Island or Ashmore Island... will not be sufficient grounds for application for status under the Migration Act," Howard said.

"It has implications for the ease of people seeking asylum, it will mean in practice... they will need to cut to the Australian mainland rather than Australian territory."

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