Guwahati, Sept 11: A group of 103 Rohingya and Chin refugees from Myanmar, housed in a transit camp in Goalpara, Assam, have embarked on a hunger strike to protest their indefinite detention. The refugees, including women and children, are demanding transfer to a UNHCR facility in New Delhi for potential resettlement in a third country.

The hunger strike, which commenced on Monday evening, has prompted Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma to take notice. Senior officials, including the inspector general of prisons and home secretary, have been dispatched to negotiate with the protesters.

The Matia detention centre, where the refugees are being held, is India’s largest. Notably, 40 of the inmates possess refugee cards issued by the UNHCR, yet remain in detention. Sabber Kyaw Min, Director of the Rohingya Human Rights Initiative, has appealed for advocacy to ensure the refugees’ dignity and well-being.

India’s status as a non-signatory to the 1951 United Nations Refugee Convention and its 1967 Protocol has complicated the situation. State authorities maintain that inmates are receiving adequate care, including nutrition and facilities, in accordance with prison manual guidelines.