At least 600 migrants rescued from drifting boats

No fewer than 600 migrants have been rescued after (at least) 2 overcrowded boats, with many women and children on board, were towed by local fishermen to the shores of Aceh province in the Indonesian waters.

The migrants are believed to be Bangladeshis and Rohingya Muslims from Myanmar.

According to BBC, Indonesian authorities and aid agencies believe the rescued group had been at sea for about a week and may have been trying to reach Malaysia.

North Aceh police chief Achmadi said at least 50 of the rescued people were taken to hospital as the group was generally suffering from starvation and many were very thin.

Giving a summation of the rescue  Aceh provincial rescue chief Budiawan told AFP news agency that 469 migrants who are Rohingya from Myanmar and Bangladeshis were evacuated from the boat.

Myanmar, also known as Burma, refuses to recognise Rohingya as citizens and hundreds of thousands have fled persecution in recent years, often through Thailand but also by sea.

Rohingya Muslims have been fleeing sectarian violence in Myanmar for many years and in December, the United Nations passed a resolution urging Myanmar to give access to citizenship for the Rohingya, many of whom are classed as stateless.