The Indonesian navy prevented a suspected migrant boat from entering the country's waters at the weekend after the arrival of hundreds of Rohingya and Bangladeshis and has stepped up patrols in the area, the military said Monday.
Nearly 3,000 migrants have swum to shore or been rescued off Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand over the past week, around half of whom have arrived in Indonesia's western province of Aceh.
The three nations have sparked outrage by turning away some overloaded vessels, and thousands of migrants are still believed to be stranded at sea after a Thai crackdown disrupted long-established people-smuggling and -trafficking routes.
The migrants who have made it to shore in Indonesia have mostly been rescued by fishermen, and grim tales have emerged of deadly fights on board and harsh treatment by people-smugglers.
READ: Myanmar should take responsibility to solve Rohingya ethnic issue
On Sunday the Indonesian navy stopped a boat from entering its waters after the vessel was spotted heading across the Malacca Strait from the direction of Malaysia, Indonesian armed forces spokesman Fuad Basya told AFP.
After radio communication with the boat, it turned back from Indonesia, he said, adding it was not physically pushed back. Basya said it was believed the boat was carrying more migrants, although he was not sure how many.
"It was heading to Indonesian waters from Malaysia and was denied entry," Basya said. "It was intercepted, and we stopped it from passing."
A week ago the navy stopped a boat carrying hundreds of migrants from entering Indonesia, and the military insists it will only help vessels in distress.
Basya said four warships and one plane were now patrolling off Aceh's coast to stop migrant boats from entering, up from one warship and a plane around a week ago.
"The boats are forbidden from entering Indonesia," he said.
PHOTO GALLERIES:
A boat holding hundreds of Rohingya migrants adrift in Thai waters
The plight of Rohingya in Malaysia
On Friday fishermen rescued hundreds of migrants from a sinking boat off Aceh, on the huge island of Sumatra. Fighting had erupted on board between the Rohingya, a persecuted Muslim minority from Myanmar and the Bangladeshis, and many leapt or were thrown overboard.
Southeast Asian nations are under growing pressure to take action to stem the influx of boatpeople, and Malaysia, current chair of regional grouping ASEAN, on Sunday pressed Myanmar to engage in talks on the issue.
Malaysian Foreign Minister Anifah Aman is also due to host talks with his Indonesian and Thai counterparts this week.
However, Malaysia also said last week it would turn away boats bearing desperate migrants from Myanmar and Bangladesh unless they are in imminent danger of sinking, following in the footsteps of Indonesia.
Meanwhile families of Rohingya on board one of the boats were growing worried as they had not been able to contact their loved ones since Saturday, Chris Lewa of the Arakan Project, which monitors migrant journeys across the Bay of Bengal, told AFP.
READ: Bay of Bengal migrant crisis: the boats and the numbers
The boat is believed to be carrying around 350 people including dozens of women and children and was thought to be cast adrift by a Thai smuggling gang who fled the vessel after disabling the ship's engine earlier this month.
Lewa said they and relatives had been able to reach migrants on board the boat via mobile phones but the numbers have been dead since Saturday evening.
It is not clear whether that boat is the same vessel spotted by journalists last Thursday.
AFP
Mon May 18 2015
![Indonesia turns away boat as Asian migrant crisis escalates Indonesia turns away boat as Asian migrant crisis escalates](https://resizer-awani.eco.astro.com.my/tr:w-177,h-100,q-100,f-auto/http://img.astroawani.com/2013-05/51368576038_295x200.jpg)
The migrants who have made it to shore in Indonesia have mostly been rescued by fishermen, and grim tales have emerged of deadly fights on board and harsh treatment by people-smugglers - filepic
AWANI Ringkas: Kes bunuh Nur Farah Kartini | Skandal LCS
Ikuti rangkuman berita utama yang menjadi tumpuan sepanjang hari di Astro AWANI menerusi AWANI Ringkas.
ADUN Rembia sertai Pas, kenapa tak umum tahun lepas? - MP Kampar
Chong Zhemin, tindakan tersebut seolah-olah satu penghinaan paling besar kepada Parlimen yang telah meluluskan pindaan Perlembagaan Persekutuan berkait Akta Antilompat Parti.
Masuk Pas untuk sama-sama susah dengan rakyat - ADUN Rembia
Muhamad Jailani berkata, sebelum ini beliau pernah menghantar surat kepada Lembaga Disiplin UMNO memohon untuk memecat keahliannya daripada parti Melayu itu.
[TERKINI] Astro dipilih sebagai penyiar rasmi Olimpik Paris 2024
Astro dipilih sebagai penyiar rasmi bagi Sukan Olimpik Paris 2024 bermula hujung bulan ini.
[TERKINI] Speaker DUN Melaka tunggu surat rasmi Muhammad Jailani
DUN Melaka masih menunggu surat rasmi daripada Pas berhubung tindakan ADUN Rembia, Datuk Muhamad Jailani Khamis yang menyertai Pas.
Sasar sumbang RM500 bilion kepada kdnk tempoh tiga tahun
Selangor perlu merancakkan semula kapasiti pembuatan untuk tidak hanya memenuhi keperluan tempatan, tetapi menjadikan negeri itu sebagai asas kepada pelan peluasan ke rantau Asia Tenggara dan Asia.
![Wanita dihempap kayu balak mula sedarkan diri Wanita dihempap kayu balak mula sedarkan diri](https://resizer-awani.eco.astro.com.my/tr:w-177,h-100,q-100,f-auto/https://img.astroawani.com/2024-07/61720789446_Wanitadihempapkay.jpg)
Wanita dihempap kayu balak mula sedarkan diri
Wanita yang nyaris maut akibat dihempap kayu balak dalam kejadian di lampu isyarat di Persimpangan Bendahara, Jalan Gua Musang-Kuala Krai di sini 9 Julai lepas, kini dilaporkan mula sedarkan diri.
Sah suspek anggota polis
Ketua Polis Selangor, Datuk Hussein Omar Khan mengesahkan suspek bunuh Nur Farah Kartini, ialah anggota polis.
Suspek juga yang dipercayai teman lelaki mangsa dan bertugas di Perak.
Suspek juga yang dipercayai teman lelaki mangsa dan bertugas di Perak.
Suspek dibawa ke lokasi kejadian di ladang kelapa sawit
Suspek kes pembunuhan bekas penuntut UPSI Nur Farah Kartini Abdullah dibawa ke lokasi kejadian di ladang kelapa sawit di Kampung Sri Keledang, Hulu Bernam, Selangor.
![Ringgit susut berbanding dolar US pada penutup Ringgit susut berbanding dolar US pada penutup](https://resizer-awani.eco.astro.com.my/tr:w-177,h-100,q-100,f-auto/https://img.astroawani.com/2024-04/41713876066_TBringgitmalaysia.jpg)
Ringgit susut berbanding dolar US pada penutup
Pada 6 petang, ringgit susut lagi kepada 4.6745/6790 berbanding dolar AS daripada 4.6725/6745 semasa ditutup semalam.