India urged to halt arbitrary arrest, forcible return of Rohingya

By Berk Kutay Gokmen

ISTANBUL (AA) - A rights organization urged India on Monday to halt the arbitrary arrest and forcible return of Rohingya refugees to Myanmar.

New Delhi should "immediately stop arbitrarily arresting, detaining and forcibly returning Rohingya refugees to Myanmar and uphold all legal obligations to protect them,” the Fortify Rights group said in a statement on its website.

"Indian authorities beat, blindfold, handcuff and forcibly return Rohingya refugees to Myanmar," it said.

The organization said the arrests in New Delhi and forced deportations to Myanmar began on May 6.

“The Indian government is handing Rohingya refugees to the same forces in Myanmar responsible for the genocide against them,” said Yap Lay Sheng, a human rights defender specialist at Fortify Rights.

“India has international legal obligations to protect and uphold the rights of all refugees on its territory and must immediately halt forced returns of Rohingya refugees to Myanmar.”

Rohingya are a Muslim ethnic minority group in Myanmar’s Rakhine state. But successive regimes in the Buddhist-majority country have denied them citizenship among other rights, forcing them to flee their homes.