Myanmar Refugees Launch Hunger Strike, Seek Transfer From Assam Detention Centre

Starved of justice, 68 Myanmar refugees have sewn their lips shut in hunger strike.

68 Myanmar refugees, languishing in a detention centre in Assam, India, have started a hunger strike, demanding their immediate transfer to a third country.

The refugees, mostly women and children, have sewn their lips shut to protest their indefinite detention in "horrific and inhuman conditions".

They are pleading with the Indian government to transfer them to another country while UNHCR India initiates their refugee status determination process.

Fleeing Violence, Ending Up in Detention

These refugees fled ethnic violence in Myanmar's Rakhine State and have been detained in Assam since 2012. They have been living in constant fear, denial of basic rights, and an uncertain future.

The hunger strike is a desperate plea for freedom and dignity, a reminder of the human suffering caused by conflicts and the failure of governments to provide protection to those in need.

Lip-Sewn and Determined

Among the hunger strikers is a 26-year-old mother, who has sewn her lips shut and says, "We are tired of empty promises. We have lost hope in the Indian government. We just want to go to a safe place where we can live with dignity."

The refugees are receiving support from human rights groups, who have condemned the Indian government's treatment of them and called for their immediate release.

Background of the Situation

The Rohingya, a Muslim minority group from Myanmar, have faced systematic persecution in their home country, which the UN has called a "textbook example of ethnic cleansing".

India has been reluctant to grant refugee status to the Rohingya, claiming they are illegal immigrants. However, human rights groups argue that India is obligated under international law to protect refugees fleeing persecution.

Outlook and Demands

The hunger strike has brought renewed attention to the plight of the Myanmar refugees and put pressure on the Indian government to act.

The refugees are demanding their immediate transfer to a third country and a fair and humane refugee status determination process.

Their voices, sewn shut in protest, speak volumes about their desperation and resilience. The world must not turn a blind eye to their suffering.