At least 75 Rohingya refugees arrived by boat at a tourist beach in western Indonesia yesterday, but were stopped by authorities from disembarking, local officials said.

The mostly Muslim Rohingyas are heavily persecuted in Myanmar -- their predominantly Buddhist homeland -- and thousands risk their lives each year on long and dangerous sea journeys to reach Malaysia or Indonesia.

The latest group of refugees, including four children, arrived on a beach in Aceh at 2:00 pm, according to Rizalihadi, a local administrative official who like many Indonesians goes by one name.

"There are 75 Rohingya Muslims who landed on the Leuge Beach. Four of them are toddlers," Rizalihadi told reporters.

"For now, they are not allowed to disembark, considering today is a public holiday... There are concerns that they might blend in with the crowd and escape," Rizalihadi said.