Afghan refugee sets himself on fire in Indonesia

An Afghan asylum seeker set himself on fire in Indonesia yesterday in protest at his seven-year wait for resettlement in a third country, a local refugee coordinator said.

The man suffered severe burns and was sent to hospital.

He was taking part in a rally with other displaced Afghans outside the office of the United Nations refugee agency in Medan on Sumatra island, coordinator Muhammad Juma said.

Thousands of refugees, more than half from Afghanistan, are stuck in limbo in Indonesia while they wait for resettlement elsewhere, as Jakarta prohibits them from working legally.