'India put us on the boat like captives - then threw us in the sea' | BBC News

Key Concepts:

• Rohingya refugees: A predominantly Muslim ethnic minority group facing persecution in Myanmar.
• Forcible deportation: The act of a government forcing refugees or immigrants to leave a country against their will.
• UN-recognized refugees: Individuals recognized by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) as needing international protection.
• Illegal immigrants: A term used by the Indian government to describe Rohingya refugees, despite their UN refugee status.
• Civil war in Myanmar: Ongoing conflict and instability in Myanmar, making it unsafe for refugees to return.
• Andaman and Nicobar Islands: Indian territory used as a transit point for the deportation of Rohingya refugees.

Summary:

1. Background and Context:

• The report marks eight years since the Myanmar military government's widespread atrocities against the Rohingya population.
• Over a million Rohingya refugees have fled to neighboring countries, including India.
• The report focuses on the experiences of a group of Rohingya refugees who were deported by the Indian government and left at sea off the coast of Myanmar.
• Myanmar is currently in the midst of a brutal civil war, making it an unsafe destination for the deported refugees.

2. The Deportation Process:

• 40 Rohingya refugees, recognized by the UN, were forcibly deported by the Indian government.
• The refugees were flown from Delhi to the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
• They were then transported on an Indian Navy vessel for 14 hours towards Myanmar.
• The refugees were subsequently transferred to smaller lifeboats.
• "They brought four life boards and we were boarded to two life boards. 20 people in each boards."
• Their hands were bound, and they were instructed to jump off the lifeboats and swim approximately 100 meters to reach the shore.
• "Our hands were bound in that uh lightboards and uh for more than seven hours they asked us to jump off the lightboard one by one and we swim around 100 plus meter to get the seashore."

3. Identification of Indian Authorities:

• The refugees identified the authorities involved in the deportation as the Indian Navy based on the inscription "B" and the Hindi word for Indian Navy on the buses.
• "We know that because of the B incription like the Hindi word for Indian Navy."
• The refugees were interrogated by Indian authorities, who questioned their reasons for coming to India instead of choosing another country.
• "Then they say one by one pulled aside and interrogated by Indian authorities and they said why did you come to India and uh why didn't you see uh uh choose another country instead of India?"

4. Indian Government's Stance:

• The Indian government has not responded to requests for comment on the deportation.
• Despite being registered UN refugees, the Indian government considers the more than 20,000 Rohingya living in India as "illegal immigrants."
• The report emphasizes that these individuals are in India due to the "horrific violence" in Myanmar and are "literally...running for their lives."

5. Refugee Experiences and Fears:

• Nurlemen's parents were among the 40 deported refugees.
• The refugees expressed feelings of insecurity and fear of being deported again.
• "We don't feel secure in my uh this place is completely a war zone."
• One refugee stated, "We are humans, not animals. How can you just throw people into the sea?"
• Another refugee expressed the fear that the Indian government might "take us and throw us in the sea at any point."

6. Conclusion:

• The report highlights the plight of Rohingya refugees who are unwelcome in both their home country (Myanmar) and the country where they sought refuge (India).
• The forcible deportation and abandonment at sea by the Indian government raise serious concerns about the treatment of refugees and the violation of international norms.
• The refugees are left in a precarious situation, stranded in a country experiencing civil war and facing continued persecution.