According to Indian authorities, 74 Rohingya refugees have been detained for allegedly living “illegally” in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh. Activists have denounced this action as an arbitrary raid on those escaping violence.
According to authorities, the Rohingya population, which is predominately Muslim, was imprisoned in six towns and cities in the state, with 10 of the refugees being minors.
According to the police, those detained comprised 55 men, 14 women, and 5 children who were living in 6 districts of Uttar Pradesh “after crossing the border illegally.”
According to a report on the Indian website Scroll.in, at least one of the jailed women is expecting a child.
The imprisoned individuals, according to the campaign organisation Rohingya Human Rights Initiative, had been residing in the region for roughly ten years after escaping persecution in Myanmar.
According to Initiative director Sabber Kyaw Min, many have been engaged in menial employment, including garbage collecting. “They have only been demanding refuge,” he continued.
“The community is asking for the detentions to end,”
After the military in Myanmar killed tens of thousands of members of the minority group, raped women, and torched dozens of their towns, hundreds of thousands of Rohingya fled to nations like Bangladesh, which borders India.
The military assault against the Rohingya was described as having “genocidal intent” by the UN, and some of the military generals are currently being tried for genocide at the International Court.
The military assault against the Rohingya was described as having “genocidal intent” by the UN, and some of the military generals are currently being tried for genocide at the International Court of Justice.
New Delhi neither has its own laws safeguarding refugees nor has it ratified the 1951 UN Refugee Convention, which outlines refugee rights and nations’ obligations to protect them.
According to co-founder of the Rohingya Human Rights Initiative Ali Johar, there were about 18,000 Rohingya in India as of the beginning of last year. The Supreme Court is currently hearing pleas to prevent their deportation.
Campaigning against the arrests, Rohingya campaigners in India have urged the government to fulfil its promises to democratic principles and human rights.
“We must preserve the detainees’ dignity. The Rohingya are human beings who have survived a genocide and deserve the same fundamental freedom and dignity as everyone else, according to Kyaw Min.
Those in custody have applied for refuge in India; they are not guilty of any crimes. They must be protected by international law, prior judicial rulings, and the Indian Constitution. Pregnant women, toddlers, and people with disabilities who are experiencing violence are among the detainees, he continued.
