Deported Rohingyas Face Horrors in Myanmar’s Civil War
who h(The Quint has been reporting in detail on crackdown and deportations that have taken place in Delhi and other parts of India. Help us do more such stories by becoming a member.)
David Nazir (26) last spoke to his family on 13 October. Though it was a brief conversation, each phone call has progressively made him more feel helpless and heartbroken than before. “It’s like a ticking time bomb. Our loved ones who were deported are stuck in a limbo, we have no idea when and how they will make it alive.”
A Christian Rohingya refugee from Vikaspuri camp in Delhi, David’s family was part of the Rohingya refugee group which was “dumped” into the international waters in May this year.
The Quint had reported on this story as to how 43 Rohingya refugees were arrested on 6 May, flown from Hindon airport to Port Blair, Andaman and Nicobar islands. Then they were shifted on boats and reportedly left in the international waters with life jackets in Southern Myanmar’s Tanintharyi region by Indian authorities.
Five months have passed since. Within this time period, more testimonies have confirmed the deportation. The matter remains pending in the Supreme Court as Rohingyas in Delhi anxiously wait for updates from their deported family—most of whom have health issues.
The Quint has learnt that some of the deportees found help with their relatives in Myanmar and moved with them, however, 37 Rohingya refugees remain marooned and of these 15 are Christian Rohingyas.
“Since their deportation, for two months we couldn’t talk to them. We thought they must have been killed as there ongoing fighting and bombing. We had lost all hope,” recounted David.
The Quint has also exclusively accessed the last video call the refugees had with their deported family. One of the deportees can be heard saying, “After we were left in the sea, it took us four hours to reach the shore of island. We have a disabled man, a disabled widow who were also thrown in the water. We had life jackets and a rope but our hands were also locked beforehand. The aged refugees were crying in the water.”
Another refugee said, “We went through psychological torture, the Indian officials told us they are from Delhi and spoke to us in Hindi and said: ‘You have no value.’ We have been thrown into a war zone. We have to swim in the water and hide ourselves because of the civil war.”
‘Every Night, We Hear a Gunshot…’
Christian Rohingyas living in Delhi often find themselves in a predicament, most of them have Muslim-sounding names but they are practising Christians. By the virtue of their name alone, they are singled out the way Muslim Rohingya refugees often are.
Six members of David’s family have been deported. His parents, Nazir Ahmed (62), Hazara Khatun (58), brother-in-law, Mohammad Ali (23), Ali’s mother-in-law, Halima Khatun (80) and two nephews- Abdul Zolil (19) and Rofip (19).
In May, things transpired in a similar way for David’s family. They were called on the pretext of getting their biometrics fixed. Up until then, Nazir was confident that nothing wrong would happen if they follow the orders.
These refugees were taken to the Inderlok detention centre. One of the Christian refugees, John Anwar who managed to use his mobile phone told David that they were taken to the detention centre.
“The police had also threatened us that Rohingyas who have been left behind, relatives of those deported, will be next in phase 2 of deportation,” alleged David. But there’s only one worry on David’s mind. How will his family survive?
Our family is hiding in the hills wherever they can. Every time we get to speak to them, we are anxious to know if our father, mother or brother is alive. Kidnapping, killing and human trafficking are also rampant in those forests and it’s scary what they might go through next.
David Nazir, Christian Rohingya in Delhi
The Rohingya refugees deported by India are in areas controlled by the People’s Defence Force (PDF), armed resistance group that is opposing the military junta in Myanmar following the 2021 coup.
We also found that apart from a cancer patient among the deportees, there’s a also pregnant women in her second trimester, one refugee with Hepatitis B and another suffering from severe Tuberculosis (TB). Most of the other refugees have diabetes or blood pressure issues.
In the video call, one of the refugees stated, “Every night, we hear a gunshot. We worried for our lives here and our families back home. We are not able to get treatment for our sickness, we are in a forest, hiding from the military every single day.”
It is the PDF which has reportedly assured the refugees that they won’t let anything happen to them, David’s parents told him. However, the deportation and its aftermath has created fear among the remaining refugees in Delhi.
Speaking to The Quint, Senior Advocate Colin Gonsalves, who is fighting their case in the Supreme Court said, “It’s the most despicable human rights violations we have done. If the notice is not issued to the state by the top court, they will keep deporting them merrily.”
Noorul Amin (24), a Rohingya refugee living in Vikaspuri alleged, “The Christian Rohingya refugees were also assaulted and beaten by the police who asked them why they did not convert to Hinduism and why they had Muslim names if they were Christian.”
Noorul has also lost five family members to this deportation. Among them are his parents: Mohammed Sharif (50), Laila Begum (43), his elder brother, Kairul Amin (26), sister-in-law, Shahida (20) and his younger brother Syedul Kareem (22). While four of them were picked up from Kanchan Gunj, Madan Khadar, his mother was picked up from their home in Vikaspuri in May.
His parents were detained before in 2023. After that, his mother developed a brain and a spine issue, the medical documents as seen by The Quint confirmed this too.
Because of drone attacks, they have been shifted. My sister-in-law is in her second trimester of pregnancy. Her health is not good, she is not able to get any care in the forests. They asked me for help but I don’t have work and how do I even send them any money? When we spoke to the PDF via call, they also said that the Indian government has not done the right thing.
Noorul Amin, refugee in Delhi
Prior to May, Noorul was working at a restaurant in Delhi. He was fired from his job after the police allegedly told the restaurant management, “How have you hired these ghuspaithyas? (infiltrators)” When the police arrested his family members, his wife had a miscarriage the same day.
“When the police visited us, they slapped my wife and beat me as well. They also dragged my sister-in-law out of the house when they came to pick them up and took her ultrasound reports with them,” recalled Noorul.
Noorul’s voice became more grave. He took a pause as though he was trying to hold back his tears. “Our people are dying there. Send all the refugees to Myanmar for once and for all then if they don’t have the right to live here. They will die there, if they are not saved. What will we do then?”
‘Couldn’t See His Children Before Death’
Another heartbreaking story that Rohingyas in Delhi often mention is that of the late Abu Bakr Siddiqui (50), a practising Christian who was suffering from Hepatitis B.
In the lanes of Vikaspuri camp, Abu Bakr was taking his last breaths when he wanted to see his children, Simon Siddiqui (27) and Anna Siddiqui (22). But Simon and Anna are also among the deported.
“‘I want to see them before something happens, before I go,’ Uncle Abu told us. He couldn’t even see his children for the last time. We showed him an old photo of Simon and Anna. He looked at the photo, touched it and passed away within 30 seconds,” David told The Quint.
The fear to be caught and detained is widespread among the Rohingya refugees in Delhi now. David and Noorul also blamed political leaders for making communal speeches against them, calling them “Bangladeshis” and “infiltrators.”
Much more recently, BJP leader Suvendhu Adhikari accused the West Bengal government of settling “Rohingya infiltrators” by providing hem fake documents. However, countering such narrative, Noorul stated that each Rohingya living in India goes through the UNHCR agency which gives them the refugee card which is also their identity card.
“If you want us refugees to go and flee then why are you giving us these cards then?” asked a perturbed Noorul.
For refugees like David, the horrors do not cease to exist. “These hate speeches against us has created space for such a deportation and these speeches continue. The remaining Rohingyas in Delhi are scattered and are shifting places. I had to leave my old home because our neighbours started suspecting us saying that we are Pakistanis or Bangladeshis.”
David and Noorul also alleged that the surveillance by the police has continued.
At the time of reporting this story, Noorul was hiding at another location, away from his home. “Someone who calls himself a policeman has visited my home, asking for me, but he comes in plainclothes and not his uniform.” This has been happening since May, Noorul alleged.
Meanwhile, David alleged that the police misbehaved with his 8-month pregnant wife in May when they came to detain them too. They thrashed his younger brother, Joy (23). He alleged that after the deportation, Mayapuri police picked up Joy.
Joy told The Quint, “They beat me on the way to the police station and then again when we reached. They pulled my hair, kicked me in my private. They undressed me to check whether I’m Christian or a Muslim.” The Quint has also seen photos of his injuries.
We spoke to the Investigating Officer (IO) at Mayapuri police station, Mahesh who said, “We had only picked some Rohingya refugees for verification. We wanted to see if they have a passport and other documents.”
On the question of police brutality, however, Mahesh refuted: “We did not beat them, there was just an altercation as they tried to run away when they were alerted to show documents. We released them by the morning as well.”
Meanwhile, the case is pending in the Supreme Court. Advocate Gonsalves remarked, “From Jawaharlal Nehu’s sister Vijay Lakshmi at UN Charter to such deportations under Modi, what a fall. The court must learn to stand up to them and assert their power.”
“We will resist legally, we have scheduled the petition but we are in a limbo. We have asked for a stay on deportation. Even as far as Indian laws are concerned, you can’t deport them like this, you cannot send them back to war zone which the government. We are not deterred and will fight this. Else it will result in misery and death and it will be the most cruel thing India has ever done,” Gonsalves told The Quint.
The deported refugees isolated and stuck in Myanmar are concerned for the safety of their family in Delhi. Five months later, as they struggle to stay alive, they still have one thing to say: “We want to come to India. Please help us.”
(The Quint has also reached out to the UNHCR office in Delhi and Kalindi Kunj police. Their response will be added once received).
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