Australia rejects Sri Lankan migrant mistreatment claim

Claims by Sri Lankan asylum seekers that they were mistreated by the Australian navy are "offensive", the country's immigration ministers says.

Scott Morrison rejected the allegations during a visit to Colombo - one day after a group of migrants who had been sent back to Sri Lanka by Australian officials appeared in court.

A second group of 153 people also intercepted at sea are the subject of ongoing court proceedings in Australia. Some of them - it is not clear how many - are reported to be Tamils.

Phil Mercer reports from Sydney.