By Rachel Pannett The Wall Street Journal September 7, 2013 This account of a boat journey by a young couple from Myanmar offers a close-up look at a major issue facing the Asia-Pacific region today: the swelling tide of ships carrying refugees toward Australia. The trip is one of the longest, and most perilous, immigration journeys in the world. Yet the numbers keep rising, as more and more people from Asia’s poorest countries seek refuge in a nation many associate with freedom, wealth and a better life. How to deal with the thousands of migrants on Asia’s seas will be a key dilemma for the new conservative government in Australia, which won office in a national election Saturday, ending six years of center-left rule. Chapter One: Rising Tide The rickety fishing boat lurched in the dark as big sea swells rose and fell around it. It was about 11 p.m. one night in late June. On the open wooden deck huddled the men, including a phone seller,...