Jama’at-e-Islami Jammu and Kashmir, on Thursday, expressed its deep concern over the “inhumane treatment” of Burma Muslim refugees at the hands of the local state administration and police in Jammu.

“After facing atrocities in Burma, these people entered moved to different countries, including India to save their lives and dignity. However, these refugees are facing inhuman treatment in Jammu areas which is not only immoral but a violation of international laws relating to the refugees,” a Jama’at statement said.

A glaring example of “this inhumane treatment” is three refugees Mohammad Farooq, Abu Alam and Mohammad Saleem, who crossed over to India in 2010, came to Nagrota area in Jammu to meet their relatives on Bakr Eid. On their way back to Rajasthan, they were apprehended by GRP police station Kathua and after were subjected to inhumane torture.

They were sent to Munsif Court Kathua, which after conducting the trial for crossing over the border illegally, sentenced them to two years imprisonment that they completed in December 2012.

“They were then detained under Public Safety Act four times one after another for two years and in December 2014, when they came out of the Kathua jail, they were re-arrested by police. After keeping them in various police stations in a pitiable condition for about eight months they were once again detained under the Public Safety Act and are languishing in Kathua jail,” the statement said.

Despite the production of international refugee cards by their relatives, the authorities refused to release them which is a violation of refugee rights, Jama’at said.

Jama’at-e-Islami has strongly condemned the “inhumane and unethical” behaviour of the state administration and police towards these Burma refugees. They have urged the authorities to release all such hapless refugees without any further delay.

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