WASHINGTON - A group of US lawmakers Thursday protested Malaysia's deportation of 12 asylum seekers to Indonesia's war-torn Aceh province.

The representatives also expressed concern at the fate of up to 250 other refugees, most from Aceh, still being held by Malaysia.

In a letter to Malaysia's ambassador to Washington Ghazzali Sheikh-Abdul-Khalid, the representatives said the return of more asylum seekers to Aceh would be "unacceptable."