Rohingya refugee appeals to UN for release of 116 detainees in Sri Lanka

A Rohingya refugee has appealed to the United Nations for the release of 116 Rohingya asylum seekers currently held in detention in Sri Lanka. The group, which includes 57 children, has been detained for nearly 21 months following a perilous sea journey from Myanmar that arrived in Sri Lankan waters in December 2024.

Speaking at the 63rd session of the UN Human Rights Council on behalf of Pax Romana, Mohammad Anwar urged Sri Lankan authorities to recognize the group as refugees seeking protection rather than labeling them ‘illegal migrants.’ He called for unhindered access to lawyers, humanitarian organizations, journalists, and the UN refugee agency.

The asylum seekers were escorted to Trincomalee by the Sri Lankan Navy after their vessel drifted toward the northeastern coast. Following their arrival, they were taken before a magistrate and moved to an Air Force camp in Mullaitivu. The Sri Lanka Human Rights Commission has previously raised concerns regarding the detention, noting that officials were initially denied access to inspect the group's conditions.

As Sri Lanka is not a signatory to the 1951 United Nations Refugee Convention, the legal framework for treating asylum seekers remains complex, often leaving displaced persons in prolonged states of uncertainty.