Banihal: Amnesty India on Friday condemned India’s detention of 25 Rohingya Muslims by the Jammu and Kashmir police in Ramban district on Friday, calling it “an abject dereliction of India’s human rights obligations and an egregious violation of international law”.
“Their detention comes at the heels of the unlawful deportation of Hasina Begum, a Rohingya refugee to Myanmar on 22 March 2022 in violation of the principle of non-refoulement,” tweeted Amnesty.
The refugees had arrived at Dar village in Gool tehsil as part of a Tablighi group, the officials said.
The members have been jailed in the Hiranagar area of Kathua district, where most of the Rohingya Muslim refugees are housed.
Police identified them as Ameer Hakam, Jaffar Alam, Mohammed Noor, Abul Hasan, Mohammed Alam, Noor Ameen, Noor Hussain, Sayeed Hossain, Mohammed Salim, Mohammed Ismail, Kamal Hussain, and Mustafa Hussain.
As per the reports, they were staying as refugees at Bhatindi and Narwal in Jammu for eight years.
A number of human rights organisations have condemned India’s apathy toward Rohingya refugees who have fled Myanmar to escape the violent military crackdown.
Amnesty pointed out that the treatment of Rohingya refugees falls under the Foreigners Act of 1946. The act makes no distinction between asylum-seekers, refugees, and other foreigners making undocumented physical presence in the country a crime.
Since 2016, the country has witnessed an increase in the number of Rohingya refugees being targeted in Jammu as a part of increasing attacks on Muslims calling for their expulsion from the country.
The Indian government, since 2018, has deported 12 Rohingya to Myanmar, claiming that they left voluntarily.
Over a year ago, in March 2021, 169 Rohingya refugees were sent to Hiranagar holding centre, following which the government initiated the nationality verification process to pave way for their deportation.
“Indian authorities are well aware of the human rights violations Rohingya Muslims have had to face in Myanmar and it is outrageous to abandon them to their fates,” Amnesty added.
(With inputs from PTI)
