Myanmar refugees on hunger strike in Goalpara transit camp; demand UNHCR intervention

Guwahati, Sept 11: Rohingya and Chin refugees from Myanmar, currently housed in Goalpara’s Matia transit camp, have been on a hunger strike since Monday, protesting their alleged prolonged detention in the camp.

The protesters are demanding to be transferred to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in New Delhi, moved to a detention center in the national capital, and resettled in a third country.

Reports indicate that the Inspector General of Prisons and Home Secretary have been dispatched to the camp to initiate talks with the protesters.

Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has also been apprised of the situation, according to Additional Chief Secretary (Home) Ajay Tewary, who spoke to a national newswire.

Tewary further stated that the provisions of the prison manual are being strictly adhered to and that all inmates are provided with proper diet and other facilities.

A Rohingya human rights activist noted that 40 of the inmates in Matia hold UNHCR-issued refugee cards; however, they remain in detention.

Director of the Rohingya Human Rights Initiative, Sabber Kyaw Min, called for engagement and advocacy to ensure the refugees can live with dignity. “We had fled our homes and country and sought refuge in India,” he was quoted as saying by the newswire.

Reportedly, over 100 Rohingya and Chin refugees from Myanmar are currently housed in the transit camp after crossing the border illegally.

Meanwhile, on Monday, the Supreme Court ordered the state government to submit a detailed deportation plan for 211 foreign nationals currently at the transit camp in Goalpara.

The directive came from a bench of Justices Abhay S. Oka and Augustine George Masih, while hearing a petition concerning the deplorable conditions in Assam’s detention centers.

On July 26, the Court highlighted the poor state of these centers, citing issues such as inadequate water supply, sanitation, and toilet facilities, based on a report from the Assam Legal Services Authority.