By The Pulseline News Desk
A Rohingya refugee living in Sri Lanka has made a direct appeal before the 63rd Session of the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC), calling on the Sri Lankan Government to release Rohingya refugees held in detention and guarantee them access to humanitarian and legal assistance.
The intervention was delivered on behalf of Pax Romana, with the speaker identifying himself as Mohammad Anwar, a Rohingya refugee currently living in Sri Lanka.
Addressing the Council, Anwar has called for the release of Rohingya nationals, including children, who have remained in detention in Sri Lanka following their arrival after a perilous sea journey.
He has urged the authorities, pending their release, to ensure unrestricted access for the UNHCR, lawyers, journalists and humanitarian organisations.
Anwar has also called on the Government to stop referring to Rohingya refugees as “illegal migrants”, arguing that their history of persecution, displacement and violence demonstrates their need for international protection.
Children among those detained
According to Anwar, around 116 Rohingya refugees, including 57 children, had arrived in Sri Lanka in December 2024 after a dangerous journey at sea. He has said two boats had sunk during the journey, resulting in the deaths of six people.
He has claimed the group had subsequently remained in detention for more than 20 months, with limited access to humanitarian assistance.
Anwar has appealed to the Government to provide the refugees with basic rights and services, including livelihood opportunities, housing, food, education and healthcare.
He has also expressed appreciation for the Sri Lanka Navy’s rescue of Rohingya refugees from the sea off Jaffna, while urging the Government to ensure the welfare of refugees already settled in Sri Lanka.
Calls for permanent status
The appeal has also highlighted the broader plight of the Rohingya community, describing them as a people without citizenship who have faced genocide and prolonged displacement.
Referring to findings of the UNHRC’s fact-finding mission on Myanmar, Anwar has said the Rohingya had been subjected to genocide and that those remaining in Myanmar continued to face serious risks.
Against this backdrop, he has urged Sri Lanka to consider granting citizenship or permanent residency to Rohingya and other refugees who cannot be resettled in another country.
Such a move, he has argued, would provide a longer-term solution for refugees who have no realistic prospect of returning safely or being resettled elsewhere.
Concerns over activists
Anwar has also raised concerns over the treatment of Sri Lankan human rights activists supporting Rohingya refugees.
He has called for an immediate end to what he has described as harassment, surveillance and restrictions against activists assisting the community.
The intervention places Sri Lanka’s treatment of Rohingya refugees under renewed international attention, particularly over the detention of children, access to legal and humanitarian assistance and the broader question of how Sri Lanka responds to refugees who have no safe route home.
The appeal also comes as the UNHRC continues to examine Sri Lanka’s human rights record, placing renewed focus on the Government’s obligations towards vulnerable and displaced communities within the country.
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