Rohingyas cast into sea by Indian navy ‘alarming’

Alarmed by "credible reports" of Rohingya refugees being forced off an Indian navy vessel into the Andaman Sea last week, a UN expert has begun an inquiry into such "unconscionable, unacceptable acts".

UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Myanmar, Tom Andrews, also urged the Indian government to refrain from inhumane and life-threatening treatment of Rohingya refugees, including their repatriation into perilous conditions in Myanmar.

"The idea that Rohingya refugees have been cast into the sea from naval vessels is nothing short of outrageous. I am seeking further information and testimony regarding these developments and implore the Indian government to provide a full accounting of what happened," said in a statement yesterday.

The mostly Muslim Rohingya have been heavily persecuted in Myanmar for decades.

One million Rohingya live in a string of squalid camps in Bangladesh after escaping a 2017 military crackdown in Myanmar.

Thousands of them risk their lives each year on long sea journeys to seek refuge elsewhere.

Late last week, Indian authorities reportedly detained dozens of Rohingya refugees living in Delhi, many or all of whom held refugee identification documents.

Approximately 40 members of this group were reportedly blindfolded and flown to the Andaman and Nicobar Islands and then transferred to an Indian naval ship, according to the statement by the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights.

After the boat crossed the Andaman Sea, the refugees were reportedly given life jackets, forced into the sea, and made to swim to an island in Myanmar territory. The refugees are reported to have survived the swim to shore, but their current whereabouts and condition are unknown, it said.

Indian authorities have also reportedly removed a group of approximately 100 Rohingya refugees from a detention centre in Assam State and transferred them to an area along the border with Bangladesh. The current whereabouts and condition of this group are also unknown.

"I am deeply concerned by what appears to be a blatant disregard for the lives and safety of those who require international protection. Such cruel actions would be an affront to human decency and represent a serious violation of the principle of non-refoulement, a fundamental tenet of international law that prohibits states from returning individuals to a territory where they face threats to their lives or freedom," Andrews said.

"Any forced repatriation of Rohingya refugees, who face the threat of violence, persecution and other grave human rights violations in Myanmar, must end," he said.

On March 3, Special Rapporteur Andrews wrote to the Indian government raising concerns about the widespread, arbitrary and indefinite detention of refugees and asylum seekers, including Rohingya refugees, from Myanmar, as well as allegations of the refoulement of refugees to Myanmar.

It called for the Indian government to end the arbitrary detention of refugees from Myanmar and provide access to places of detention.

"The Government of India must immediately and unequivocally repudiate unconscionable acts against Rohingya refugees, stop all deportations to Myanmar, and ensure that those responsible for these blatant violations of India's international obligations are held responsible," Andrews said.