Vietnamese refugees stranded

Vietnamese refugees stranded

PALANGKARAYA, Central Kalimantan: Four Vietnamese refugees were stranded on Jelai, Kotawaringin Barat, after their boat developed engine trouble on Thursday.

They were asked to leave after local authorities helped fix their boat and gave them food and medical supplies, spokesman for the Kotawaringin Barat government, Adjeman Abdullah, said.

He said the Vietnamese were on their way from the refugee camps on Indonesia's Galang island to Australia. He added that the refugees had been adrift on the Java Sea for many days before running aground on Jelai, Antara reported. (pan)