Activists mourn death of 5-month-old Rohingya girl in Indian captivity
SRINAGAR, Jammu and Kashmir (AA) – Rights groups and activists have called on the Indian government to launch an investigation into the death of a five-month-old Rohingya girl in custody.
Videos that went viral on social media last week showed Rohingya detainees, both men and women, being tear gassed at a detention center in Jammu province.
The video also showed the parents being taken in handcuffs for the baby’s last rites.
It is not known what happened at the center that led to clashes and the baby’s death.
The Rohingya Human Rights Initiative, an advocacy group, claimed the girl died after not receiving treatment due to inhaled gas.
Koushal Kumar, the head of the detention center, however, said the baby died due to an illness.
About 271 Rohingya have been detained at the center since April 2021.
In a new wave of arrests, more than 200 Rohingya refugees from different parts of India have been detained.
Daniel P. Sullivan, director of the U.S.-based organization Refugees International, expressed concern over the death of the little girl.
He said the presence of a child in detention points to a larger flawed policy.
“Rather than re-targeting and re-victimizing Rohingya refugees, India should be offering legal residence, expanded access to education and livelihood opportunities, and exit visas to those already accepted for third country resettlement,” Sullivan stated.
Sabber Kyaw Min, director and founder of the Rohingya Human Rights Initiative, which campaigns for members of Myanmar’s Muslim minority living in India, appealed to the government to release the detainees immediately.
“We need to protect the dignity of those detained. Rohingya are human beings, survivors of a genocide and deserving of basic freedom and dignity given to everyone else. Those detained have sought asylum in India, not committed any crime,” he said.
According to Amnesty International, more than 750,000 Rohingya refugees, mostly women, and children, fled Myanmar and crossed into Bangladesh after Myanmar forces launched a crackdown on the minority Muslim community in August 2017.
Most of them are settled in squalid refugee camps in Bangladesh, while some have migrated to third countries, including India and Malaysia.
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