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Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd is expected to arrive in Jakarta today to attend President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono’s inauguration on Tuesday. But press reports have speculated that he is also here to seek a solution regarding the influx of asylum seekers into Australia.

Indonesian authorities, however, declined to confirm if people smuggling was high on Rudd’s agenda. “A special agenda will be another thing, but he [is visiting] the country as a courtesy call,” Foreign Ministry spokesman Teuku Faizasyah said on Sunday.

Presidential spokesman Dino Patti Djalal suggested that the two leaders may discuss specific topics during Rudd’s visit, but only after the inauguration.

“We will see what kind of main agenda we are going to discuss, but so far his visit is a courtesy call to attend the inauguration,” Dino said.

The Australian Associated Press on Sunday reported that one of the key priorities for discussion between Rudd and Yudhoyono would be people smuggling. Rudd is also expected to agree to provide Indonesia with more financial assistance to deal with the issue, on top of the $20 million it already provides.

The trip comes as the Australian navy this weekend boarded a boat in Indonesian waters believed to be carrying asylum seekers. The boat was thought to be in distress.

Authorities in Jakarta, Canberra and Kuala Lumpur are now keeping watch on two vessels, in Malaysian and Indonesian waters, that may have been intending to head to Australia. Meanwhile, a group of more than 250 Sri Lankan asylum seekers whose boat was stopped in Indonesian waters en route to Australia ended their two-day hunger strike on Saturday, officials said.

The group, which had 150 men on a hunger strike, accepted food late in the afternoon after a meeting with Indonesian officials, local immigration chief Harry Purwanto told AFP.

“Alex said the hunger strike was not a protest against Indonesia, but an appeal to the international community to find a solution for them,” he said, referring to the group’s unofficial spokesman.

Indonesian authorities were trying to negotiate with the migrants. They were intercepted in the Sunda Strait, between Sumatra and Java islands, on Oct. 11 as they headed to Australia in a cargo boat.

Harry said two shelters around the port have been readied for the 255 men, women and children, “but the migrants wouldn’t move there [from their boat] until they meet someone from [the UN refugee agency].”

That will be on Wednesday, the official said.

Earlier, Alex told AFP they were ending the hunger strike because “there were 100,000 deaths of Tamils due to the civil war in Sri Lanka and we want to prevent further deaths.”

The standoff has fueled Australia’s debate about illegal immigration, with Rudd under mounting pressure from the conservative opposition to stiffen border security.

The situation has also highlighted Indonesia’s failure to crack down on people-smuggling networks.