BANDA ACEH, Indonesia - Indonesia today expelled two Malaysians and a US citizen after they illegally entered the restive province of Aceh which remains under a state of civil emergency, an official said.

"This morning we expelled the three foreigners," said Imron Zubandi, of the Aceh provincial immigration office.

Authorities identified the two Malaysians as Jumat bin Majid, 31 and Ong Kung Wai, 44, and named the American as Blanchet Sean Kehoe, 21.

Zubandi said the Malaysians told investigators they had been invited by a coffee processing company in Takengon, Central Aceh.

Misradi, an executive of the company, told journalists he was not aware that foreign visitors needed special permits. He said the Malaysians were consultants on organic fertilizers, while the American was a student interested in studying local culture and customs.

"They were not deported but expelled from the territory of Aceh because they had entered it without a permit from the ruler of the state of civilian emergency," Zubandi said.

State of emergency

The trio entered Aceh by land on June 18 from the neighbouring province of North Sumatra. They were heading for Takengon where police arrested them on May 19.

Police handed the foreigners over to the immigration office in Banda Aceh on Monday evening, Zubandi said.

Aceh has remained virtually closed to foreigners since Jakarta put the Muslim province at the northern most tip of Sumatra island under martial law on May 19 last year and launched a major offensive against rebels of the Free Aceh Movement (GAM).

Last month martial law was replaced with a civilian state of emergency but foreigners are still allowed in only with special permits. - AFP