JNU students hold protest demanding basic rights for Myanmar refugees
Jawaharlal Nehru University Students’ Union on Thursday took to the streets demanding that the government as well as the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) take immediate steps to address the “pathetic and abysmal” condition of Myanmar refugees in Delhi.
The JNUSU presented a memorandum to the High Commissioner who they said has promised to “negotiate with the government to grant refugee status to the Burmese.”
The refugee camp was earlier located behind the UNHCR office in Vasant Vihar. It has now been shifted to the premises of a mosque in Sultangarhi in the Vasant Kunj-Mahipalpur area.
The refugees who had got onto a bus to reach the protest venue, were stopped from leaving the camp premises by police. Only a few members were able to reach the protest venue. In Vasant Vihar, students were not allowed to reach the UNHCR office.
“We could not allow them to protest because Section 144 is imposed in the area,” said a senior police officer.
The refugees said they used whatever little space they had in the camp for cooking and sanitary purposes. As a result, diseases like diarrhoea and malaria were spreading, apart from several cases of dehydration. Women and children were the worst affected.
JNUSU President Sucheta De said, “It is indeed shocking that neither the UNHCR nor the government is showing even the minimum humanitarian concerns to address the basic needs of these refugees. JNUSU has been visiting the refugee camp and trying to organise some relief by collecting funds from the JNU community. But it is an enormous task and public bodies have to be pressurised to address the urgent needs of these refugees.”.
“The issue of refugees languishing on the streets of Delhi for more than a month in the summer heat has to be addressed immediately. As of now, the refugees only have an asylum status. The government and the UNHCR must grant official a refugee status to them so that they can avail their basic rights with a sense of dignity,” De said.
Over 600 Rohingya Muslim families had fled from Western Myanmar to India about two years ago after facing “considerable repression under the military regime” in Myanmar. They arrived in Delhi on April 9, seeking refugee status instead of ‘asylum status that has been granted to them by the UNHCR.
The JNUSU presented a memorandum to the High Commissioner who they said has promised to “negotiate with the government to grant refugee status to the Burmese.”
The refugee camp was earlier located behind the UNHCR office in Vasant Vihar. It has now been shifted to the premises of a mosque in Sultangarhi in the Vasant Kunj-Mahipalpur area.
The refugees who had got onto a bus to reach the protest venue, were stopped from leaving the camp premises by police. Only a few members were able to reach the protest venue. In Vasant Vihar, students were not allowed to reach the UNHCR office.
“We could not allow them to protest because Section 144 is imposed in the area,” said a senior police officer.
The refugees said they used whatever little space they had in the camp for cooking and sanitary purposes. As a result, diseases like diarrhoea and malaria were spreading, apart from several cases of dehydration. Women and children were the worst affected.
JNUSU President Sucheta De said, “It is indeed shocking that neither the UNHCR nor the government is showing even the minimum humanitarian concerns to address the basic needs of these refugees. JNUSU has been visiting the refugee camp and trying to organise some relief by collecting funds from the JNU community. But it is an enormous task and public bodies have to be pressurised to address the urgent needs of these refugees.”.
“The issue of refugees languishing on the streets of Delhi for more than a month in the summer heat has to be addressed immediately. As of now, the refugees only have an asylum status. The government and the UNHCR must grant official a refugee status to them so that they can avail their basic rights with a sense of dignity,” De said.
Over 600 Rohingya Muslim families had fled from Western Myanmar to India about two years ago after facing “considerable repression under the military regime” in Myanmar. They arrived in Delhi on April 9, seeking refugee status instead of ‘asylum status that has been granted to them by the UNHCR.
I appreciate to the Jawaharlal Nehru University Students’ Union whose have been focusing by their protesting to bring the right solution for the helpless Rohingya refugees in Delhi.
Still, Rohingyas have no excess support to get their basic rights as a human being by UNHCR, The Rohingya refugees have rights to get refugee status and all facilities according to the Geneva Convention 1951 which should provide by UNHCR Delhi as soon as possible.
I request to the all NGOs' , human rights organs and all political wings to focus to the Govt. of India to play a vital role in this issue.
Sincerely yours,
M.Hussain Azmi
Burmese Rohingya Association in Deutschland
Frankfurt-Germany
www.rohingya.de
Indian Congress administration is very pretentious. They show that they are truly humanist but in disguise they are very anti Muslim (harami). The officials appear to be caste Indians. Sadly Rohingyas, a suffering humanity is being treated differently with hate and discrimination. It is great to know that JNU students are not yet infected with Congress's Brahmo caste hatred against the Rohingyas.