A Rohingya refugee living in Sri Lanka made a direct appeal to the 63rd Session of the United Nations Human Rights Council, calling for the release of Rohingya refugees held in detention in Sri Lanka.
The intervention was delivered on behalf of the Pax Romana organization.
Speaking before the Council, the refugee urged that until freedom is granted, Rohingya nationals, including children, be allowed access to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), lawyers, journalists, and humanitarian organizations.
He stressed that they should not be labeled as “illegal migrants,” arguing that their suffering and experiences prove their refugee status.
He expressed appreciation for the Sri Lanka Navy’s rescue of Rohingya refugees off Jaffna in December 2024, while pressing the government to guarantee basic rights such as livelihood, housing, food, education, and health services.
Highlighting the plight of Rohingya people who lack citizenship and have faced genocide, he urged the Sri Lankan government to consider granting citizenship or permanent residency to refugees who cannot be resettled in another country.
The appeal also called for an end to harassment, surveillance, and restrictions against Sri Lankan human rights activists who support Rohingya refugees.
Excerpt from the speech:
“My name is Mohammad Anwar. I am a Rohingya refugee living in Sri Lanka. I draw attention to the reports of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights and the Independent Investigative Mechanism on Myanmar.
We appreciate the rescue of about 105 Rohingya by the Sri Lanka Navy in December 2022 from the sea off Jaffna, and we request the Sri Lankan government to guarantee the rights to livelihood, housing, food, education, and health services for all Rohingya refugees settled around Panadura.
In December 2024, after a very difficult sea journey in which two boats sank and six people lost their lives, about 116 Rohingya, including 57 children, arrived in Sri Lanka. Despite their suffering, violence, displacement, and fear proving their refugee status, this group has been held in detention in Sri Lanka for more than 20 months, with very limited access to humanitarian aid.
Therefore, we request their release, and that access be guaranteed to UNHCR, lawyers, humanitarian organizations, and journalists without obstruction, and that refugees not be referred to as ‘illegal migrants.’
The UN Human Rights Council’s fact‑finding mission has pointed out that genocide has been committed against Rohingya and that those still in Myanmar face the threat of genocide. We are Rohingya nationals, and we are a people without a country.
Accordingly, we request the Sri Lankan government to consider granting citizenship or permanent residency to Rohingya and other refugees in Sri Lanka who cannot be resettled in any other country.
We also request that harassment, surveillance, and restrictions against Sri Lankan human rights activists who support us be immediately ended.”
