“We're engaging with the government on this question—and seeking more information and response. There will be a clear demand for those who are responsible for this to be held accountable,” Thomas Andrews, United Nations Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Myanmar, told The Quint days after 38 Rohingya refugees were allegedly thrown into international waters by Indian officials.
These Rohingya refugees – including minors, women, the elderly, and the critically ill – all of whom were registered with the UN High Commission for Refugees in India, were detained by the Delhi Police on the night of 6 May under the false pretence of biometric data collection. A few days later, officials reportedly threw them off the coast of Myanmar — the very country they had fled in the first place.
A former US Congressman from Maine, Andrews' mandate currently is to monitor and investigate human rights violations in Myanmar. In an exclusive interview with The Quint, the human rights expert confirmed that an “investigation into credible reports” of the said incident is underway.
“This would constitute a gross violation of international law,” Andrews said, calling the allegations “deeply disturbing.”
“India has obligations under international human rights instruments, including the principle of non-refoulement. If these reports are true, not only is there a serious breach of those obligations — it’s a humanitarian outrage.”Thomas Andrews