Indonesia turns away migrants’ boat, 8,000 stranded at sea

JAKARTA, May 12 (Agencies): Indonesia has turned away a boat carrying hundreds of migrants believed to be from Myanmar and Bangladesh.

However, Indonesia's navy provided food, water and medical supplies to around 500 passengers late Monday, before sending the boat across the Malacca Strait towards Malaysia, a military spokesman said.

Four Indonesian navy vessels offered the assistance to the passengers on the migrant boat near the cape of Tanjung Jambu Aye in north Aceh.

It said that it did so because the migrants wanted to reach Malaysia, but an international migration agency said the decision was "shocking".

As many as 8,000 migrants from Bangladesh and Myanmar are believed by the agency to be stranded at sea.

"The passengers were still alive and in good condition," said Navy spokesman Manahan Simorangkir.

"They were seeking help and they didn't want to go to Indonesia. They wanted to go to Malaysia, so we sent them on their way after providing them with food, water and medical supplies."

But International Organisation for Migration (IOM) spokesman Joe Lowry told the BBC news website earlier that "if true it would be shocking -- these people need to land".

He said people on board such ships needed urgent help as there were many reports of passengers suffering from beriberi -- a disease caused by vitamin deficiency.