Over 130 refugees from Myanmar have been on a hunger strike at the Matia Transit Camp in Assam, India since Monday, as indicated by Rohingya rights activist Sabber Kyaw Min. This demonstration underscores the refugees’ demand for release from indefinite detention and their resettlement under the auspices of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).
The detainees, who include 103 Rohingya Muslims and 30 Christian Chin refugees, fled Myanmar following the 2017 military crackdown. Despite possessing refugee cards issued by the UNHCR, the group remains in custody after serving sentences for entering India without proper documentation. The Matia Transit Camp is India’s largest facility for undocumented migrants, currently housing over 200 people.
Protesters are urging their transfer to the UNHCR and their eventual resettlement in a third country. The Rohingya Human Rights Initiative (R4R) has expressed concerns about their prolonged detention, highlighting inhumane living conditions marked by inadequate water, poor healthcare, and substandard food.
Complicating their legal status is the fact that India is not a signatory to the 1951 United Nations Refugee Convention or its 1967 Protocol. Assam authorities have acknowledged the protests, and senior officials, including Chief Secretary Ravi Kota, have visited the camp to assess the situation. The state government is reportedly reviewing the detainees’ legal status and engaging national agencies to seek resolutions, according to a report from Scroll.
The UNHCR has reiterated that detention should only be used as a last resort, aligning with international standards, and has expressed willingness to collaborate with Indian authorities to find a solution. Meanwhile, the hunger strike persists, with hopes for intervention to end their continuing uncertainty in detention.
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