About 140 Rohingya Muslims on wooden boat off Indonesia's coast as residents refuse to let them land

LABUHAN HAJI, Indonesia (AP) — About 140 weak and hungry Rohingya Muslims, mostly women and children, were on a wooden boat anchored about 1 mile (0.60 kilometers) off the coast of Indonesia’s northernmost province of Aceh on Tuesday, officials said, and local residents refused to allow them onto land.

The blue-painted boat has been floating off the coast since Friday. Three Rohingya died during the nearly two-week-long trip from Cox’s Bazar in Bangladesh to the waters off Labuhan Haji in South Aceh district, local police said.

Authorities have transferred 11 Rohingya to a government hospital since Sunday after their health worsened.

“Our community, the fishing community, refuses to let them land because of what happened in other places. They have caused unrest to local residents,” said Muhammad Jabal, the chief of the fishing community in South Aceh.

A large banner hanging at the seaport read: “The people of South Aceh Regency reject the arrival of Rohingya refugees in the South Aceh Regency area."

The group left Cox’s Bazar on Oct. 9, according to an Aceh police report, and intended to reach Malaysia. Some passengers on the boat had reportedly paid to be transported to other countries.

Local residents have given the group food, Jabal said, and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees has also provided them food.

There were 216 people on board when the boat departed Bangladesh and 50 of them reportedly disembarked in Indonesia’s Riau province, according to police.

Aceh police have arrested three suspects for alleged people smuggling.

About 1 million of the predominately Muslim Rohingya live in Bangladesh as refugees from Myanmar. They include about 740,000 who fled a brutal counterinsurgency campaign in 2017 by Myanmar’s security forces, who were accused of committing mass rapes and killings.

The Rohingya minority in Myanmar faces widespread discrimination. Most are denied citizenship.

Indonesia, like Thailand and Malaysia, is not a signatory to the United Nations’ 1951 Refugee Convention and is not obligated to accept them. However, the country generally provides temporary shelter to refugees in distress.

In March, Indonesian officials and local fishermen rescued 75 people from atop the overturned hull of a boat off the coast of Aceh. Another 67 passengers, including at least 28 children, had been killed when the boat capsized, according to the UNHCR. AP reported that the captain and crew had tortured women and girls before the the boat capsized.

Tarigan reported from Jakarta.

Rohingya refugee children sit on the deck of their boat anchored in the waters near the coast of Labuhan Haji, Aceh province, Indonesia, Tuesday, Oct. 22, 2024. (AP Photo/Binsar Bakkara)

A Rohingya man receives food delivered by local fishermen to their boat anchored in the waters near the coast of Labuhan Haji, Aceh province, Indonesia, Tuesday, Oct. 22, 2024. (AP Photo/Binsar Bakkara)

A Rohingya woman rests on the deck of a boat carrying refugees anchored in the waters near the coast of Labuhan Haji, Aceh province, Indonesia, Tuesday, Oct. 22, 2024. (AP Photo/Binsar Bakkara)

Rohingya children wait for food supply delivered by local fishermen on their boat anchored in the waters near the coast of Labuhan Haji, Aceh province, Indonesia, Tuesday, Oct. 22, 2024. (AP Photo/Binsar Bakkara)

A young Rohingya girl sits on the deck of a refugee boat anchored in the waters near the coast of Labuhan Haji, Aceh province, Indonesia, Tuesday, Oct. 22, 2024. (AP Photo/Binsar Bakkara)

Acehnese men inspect a boat carrying Rohingya refugees anchored in the waters near the coast of Labuhan Haji, Aceh province, Indonesia, Tuesday, Oct. 22, 2024. (AP Photo/Binsar Bakkara)

Acehnese men inspect a boat carrying Rohingya refugees anchored in the waters near the coast of Labuhan Haji, Aceh province, Indonesia, Tuesday, Oct. 22, 2024. (AP Photo/Binsar Bakkara)

Rohingya refugees rest in their boat anchored in the waters near the coast of Labuhan Haji, Aceh province, Indonesia, Tuesday, Oct. 22, 2024. (AP Photo/Binsar Bakkara)

A local fisherman navigates past a boat carrying Rohingya refugees anchored in the waters near the coast of Labuhan Haji, Aceh province, Indonesia, Tuesday, Oct. 22, 2024. (AP Photo/Binsar Bakkara)

A young girl who was evacuated from a boat carrying Rohingya Muslims lies on a stretcher as she is taken to a local hospital to check on her medical condition in Labuhan Haji, Aceh province, Indonesia, Tuesday, Oct. 22, 2024. (AP Photo/Binsar Bakkara)

A paramedic examines the health condition of young girl as she lies on the deck of a boat carrying Rohingya Muslims in the waters near the coast of Labuhan Haji, Aceh province, Indonesia, Tuesday, Oct. 22, 2024. (AP Photo/Binsar Bakkara)

A young girl lies on the deck of a boat carrying Rohingya Muslims as she waits for a paramedic to check on her condition in the waters near the coast of Labuhan Haji, Aceh province, Indonesia, Tuesday, Oct. 22, 2024. (AP Photo/Binsar Bakkara)

A young girl is evacuated from the boat carrying Rohingya Muslims due to her medical condition, in the waters near the coast of Labuhan Haji, Aceh province, Indonesia, Tuesday, Oct. 22, 2024. (AP Photo/Binsar Bakkara)

BURGAS, Bulgaria (AP) — Paul Magnier claimed the opening stage of the Giro d’Italia after the French rider won a sprint finish, while race favorite Jonas Vingegaard finished safely in the pack on Friday.

Magnier, who rides for Soudal Quick-Step, will wear the pink shirt for Stage 2 after his first win at a three-week Grand Tour.

The Giro’s opening three stages are being held in Bulgaria. The opening stage was a flat 147-kilometer (91-mile) course from Nessebar to Burgas on the Black Sea coast. Magnier finished the stage in 3 hours, 21 minutes, edging Tobias Lund Andresen at the finish line.

Several riders went down in a crash when a rider clipped a temporary barrier during the run-in over the final kilometer. It appears all the riders who fell managed to get up and finish the stage.

Vingegaard is aiming to complete the rare feat of winning all three Grand Tours. The Danish leader of Jumbo Visma team won the Tour de France in 2022 and 2023 and the Spanish Vuelta last year. This year, he won the Paris-Nice and Volta de Catalonia weeklong races in March.

Tadej Pogačar, cycling's top talent, is skipping the Giro to focus on adding to his four Tour titles in July.

Saturday's stage is a hilly 221-kilometer ride from Burgas to Tarnovo.

The Giro finishes in Rome on May 31.

AP cycling: https://apnews.com/hub/cycling

The pack rides during Stage 1 of the Giro d'Italia cycling race, from Nessebar to Burgas, Bulgaria, Friday, May 8, 2026. (Gian Mattia D'Alberto/LaPresse via AP)

The pack rides during Stage 1 of the Giro d'Italia cycling race, from Nessebar to Burgas, Bulgaria, Friday, May 8, 2026. (Gian Mattia D'Alberto/LaPresse via AP)

The pack rides during Stage 1 of the Giro d'Italia cycling race, from Nessebar to Burgas, Bulgaria, Friday, May 8, 2026. (Gian Mattia D'Alberto/LaPresse via AP)

France's Paul Magnier celebrates winning stage 1 of the Giro d'Italia cycling race, from Nessebar to Burgas, Bulgaria, Friday, May 8, 2026. (Massimo Paolone/LaPresse via AP)

Denmark's Jonas Vingegaard rides during Stage 1 of the Giro d'Italia cycling race, from Nessebar to Burgas, Bulgaria, Friday, May 8, 2026. (Gian Mattia D'Alberto/LaPresse via AP)