129 Myanmar Boat People Strand Off Indonesia

BANDA ACEH, Indonesia (AP) - Indonesian marine police say they have picked up 129 starving, dehydrated people from Myanmar after the engine of their rickety boat broke down.

Police Col. Muhammad Zaini says fishermen discovered the 45-foot (14-meter) boat off the coast of westernmost Aceh province and towed it to shore early Wednesday.

He says the passengers - all males belonging to the ethnic Rohingya minority - had run out of food and water and were severely dehydrated and weak.

One of the boat people told investigators they were fleeing from violence and pressure by Myanmar's government.

The Rohingyas, who are not recognized by Myanmar's government, have fled by the hundreds of thousands to Bangladesh, Malaysia and the Middle East.