India is facing mounting international condemnation after a United Nations human rights expert revealed harrowing details of an incident in which Rohingya refugees were allegedly forced off an Indian naval vessel into the Andaman Sea near Myanmar.
Tom Andrews, the UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Myanmar, issued a scathing statement on Thursday, calling the reported act “outrageous,” “unconscionable,” and a “serious violation” of international law. “The idea that Rohingya refugees have been cast into the sea from naval vessels is nothing short of outrageous,” Andrews said, announcing an urgent inquiry into the incident.
According to reports cited by the UN, Indian authorities detained dozens of Rohingya refugees in New Delhi last week—many of whom held refugee identification documents. Around 40 individuals were allegedly blindfolded, flown to the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, and then loaded onto an Indian naval ship.
In a shocking development, once the vessel reached the Andaman Sea, the refugees were reportedly given life jackets and forced into the water, instructed to swim toward an island under Myanmar’s jurisdiction. While the group is believed to have survived, their current condition and location remain unknown.
“These cruel actions would be an affront to human decency and represent a serious violation of the principle of non-refoulement,” Andrews said, referencing the international legal principle that forbids returning individuals to a place where they face serious threats to life or freedom. “I implore the Indian government to provide a full accounting of what happened.”
India’s treatment of Rohingya refugees has long drawn criticism from human rights groups, but this latest episode signals a dangerous escalation. “This is not just neglect—it is state-sponsored cruelty,” a Rohingya rights advocate told Bay of Bengal Post. “To force traumatized people into open waters, in proximity to a regime accused of genocide, is a new low in India's refugee policy.”
In a separate development, another group of approximately 100 Rohingya detainees was reportedly removed from a detention facility in Assam and transferred to an area near the Bangladesh border. While India claims to be taking internal security measures, rights groups argue the moves are part of a broader pattern of Islamophobic and anti-refugee policies.
Refugees International estimates that around 22,500 registered Rohingya were residing in India as of December. Yet, India has steadfastly refused to sign the 1951 Refugee Convention, and its treatment of the Muslim minority has often reflected the growing intolerance in domestic politics.
“This is not just a failure of policy—it’s a failure of humanity,” Andrews warned. “India must immediately and unequivocally repudiate these acts, halt all deportations to Myanmar, and hold those responsible accountable.”
India, a country that has historically hosted Tibetan, Sri Lankan, and Afghan refugees, now stands accused of abandoning its moral and legal obligations. As the world watches, the nation risks being seen not as a sanctuary for the persecuted, but as a collaborator in their continued oppression.
The Indian government has yet to issue an official response to the UN allegations. However, global pressure is mounting, and calls for accountability are growing louder by the hour.
BOB Post
