Indonesia rescues 20 Rohingya adrift off Aceh

JAKARTA, Dec 04 (AP): A wooden boat carrying 20 hungry, weak Rohingya Muslim men has been found adrift off Indonesia's northernmost province of Aceh.

Syahrial, a local disaster official, says the group was discovered on the rickety boat by fishermen on Tuesday about three kilometres (1.8 miles) off the coast.

Syahrial, who goes by a single name, said it wasn't clear where they traveled from or where they were heading.

An outbreak of violence that began in 2012 prompted thousands of Rohingya to flee Myanmar by sea to Bangladesh, Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia. Dozens of Rohingyas died in last several months while embarking on such risky journey.