At least 100 people, mostly women and children, on board a wooden vessel said to be taking on water denied refuge.

Dozens of Rohingya refugees who were intercepted after their boat ran into trouble off the coast of Indonesia’s Aceh province were being sent into Malaysian waters, authorities said.

At least 100 people, mostly women and children, on board a wooden vessel said to be taking on water were denied refuge in Indonesia and instead pushed into the neighbouring Southeast Asian country.

Despite calls from non-governmental organisations and the United Nations agency for the refugees to be accepted, Indonesian authorities are attempting to send the group back after providing supplies, clothes and fuel, as well as a technician to fix their damaged boat.

Speaking to reporters on Tuesday, navy official Dian Suryansyah said Rohingya were not Indonesian citizens and the army could not “simply bring them in as refugees”.

(Image info) Indonesian police hand over supplies for Rohingya refugees on board a wooden vessel off the coast of Indonesia’s Aceh province [Indonesian police/AFP]