Fishermen find boat carrying weak and hungry Rohingya off coast of Indonesia

The people were found by three fishermen late on Monday on the rickety boat about four miles off the coast, local police chief Muhammad Jamil said.

He said the group of Rohingya cried out for help and jumped onto the fishermen’s boat, but its engine also stopped working on the way to shore.

They remained on the boat Wednesday awaiting a decision by the local government whether to accept them.

“We are still waiting for further instructions on what we should do with them,” Mr Jamil said.

He said authorities provided them with food and water and villagers donated clothes.

The 49 women, 15 men and 30 children were weak from hunger and dehydration after a two-week voyage, Mr Jamil said.

He said it was not clear where the group was travelling from or where it was headed because none could speak English or Malay.

In April, Malaysia denied entry to a boat carrying about 200 Rohingya due to coronavirus fears.

Rights activists are fearful that large numbers of Rohingya, a persecuted Muslim minority from mainly Buddhist Burma, may be trapped on boats at sea.

Reports say they are fleeing ongoing persecution in Burma and hardship in refugee camps in Bangladesh where many have fled.

More than 700,000 Rohingya have fled Burma since August 2017, when the military launched a clearance operation in response to attacks by a rebel group.

Security forces have been accused of mass rapes, killings and the burning of thousands of homes.

Authorities in Burma say the Rohingya migrated illegally from Bangladesh, even though many families have lived in Burma for decades.

Nearly all have been denied citizenship since 1982, effectively rendering them stateless.

They are also denied freedom of movement and other rights including education.