Goalpara, Assam — Rohingya and Chin refugees from Myanmar, currently housed in the Goalpara transit camp, have launched a hunger strike to protest their extended detention and demand resettlement through the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).
The hunger strike commenced on Monday evening, with protesters calling for their immediate transfer to the UNHCR in New Delhi and eventual relocation to a third country. Additional Chief Secretary (Home) Ajay Tewary reported that senior officials, including the inspector general of prisons and the home secretary, have been sent to negotiate with the refugees. He expressed hope for a resolution soon and noted that Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has been briefed on the situation.
The camp, which houses 103 refugees, including women and children, is under scrutiny. Although 40 of the refugees hold UNHCR-issued cards, they remain detained. Rohingya human rights advocate Sabber Kyaw Min, Director of the Rohingya Human Rights Initiative, has urged for their dignified treatment and advocacy.
The Goalpara detention center, operational since January 2023, is the largest of its kind in India. Despite the country’s strict adherence to prison regulations, the refugees’ plight underscores ongoing challenges given India’s non-signatory status to the 1951 UN Refugee Convention and its 1967 Protocol.