Rohingya refugees in Sri Lanka protest planned closure of U.N. office, fearing abandonment
Jan 2, 2024
A group of Rohingya refugees living in Sri Lanka has staged a protest outside the office of the U.N. refugee agency
COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AP) — A group of Rohingya refugees living in Sri Lanka staged a protest outside the office of the U.N. refugee agency Tuesday, saying they fear losing their living allowance once the agency's office in the island nation closes at the end of this year.
The protesters also want to be resettled in another country because Sri Lanka does not allow them to live there permanently.
About 100 Rohingya refugees live in Sri Lanka, most of them rescued at sea by the navy while they were trying to reach Indonesia after fleeing Myanmar for Bangladesh.
About 740,000 Rohingya were resettled in Bangladesh after fleeing their homes in Myanmar to escape a
brutal counterinsurgency campaign
by security forces. But the camps in Bangladesh are squalid, with surging gang violence and rampant hunger, leading many to flee again.Ruki Fernando, a rights activist in Sri Lanka, said the refugees receive basic allowance from the U.N. agency and are provided with limited health care by the Sri Lankan government. However, the refugee children don't receive education and adults aren't allowed to work.
“We didn’t intend to come to Sri Lanka, but were rescued off the seas in Sri Lanka and brought to Sri Lanka by the navy. We also had to endure a hard time in detention in Sri Lanka and still live a very hard life in a new country where we can’t speak our language, and many don’t have family members, relatives and friends,” the refugees said in a petition to the U.N. agency's representative.
The petition said the refugees were upset to learn of the office's upcoming closure and pleaded for it to “help us find a permanent solution in another country that will help us overcome uncertainty and not make us and our children permanently stateless.”
The U.N. refugee agency could not immediately be reached Tuesday.
The office in Sri Lanka was especially active during the country's quarter-century civil war which ended in 2009.
MORE NEWS
China’s top swimmers enjoy record-breaking performances at national championships
Chinese swimmers showcased their strength in depth with record-breaking performances by veterans and rising stars at the national championships in Beijing. As of Tuesday, swimmers had broken one world, six Asian and multiple national records. Zhang Yufei and Zhang Zhanshuo set Asian short-course records in the women’s 100m butterfly and men’s 800m freestyle, clocking 54.87 seconds and seven minutes 28.61 seconds respectively to claim gold. The national event is the official selection trial for...
'Personal' Setback Behind Neeraj Yadav's Suicide? Police Reveals Startling Details
A reported fallout with a woman friend has emerged as a key angle in the investigation into Neeraj Yadav's death.
Three-Time Grand Slam Winner Ends Tennis Career With 1st-Round Defeat In Basel
Stan Wawrinka ended his 24-year professional tennis career following a first-round defeat at the Basel Open.
Thomas van Tonder Completes World-First Crossing Beneath Bloukrans Bridge
Thomas van Tonder completed a world-first crossing beneath Bloukrans Bridge, traversing 600 suspended monkey bars over 280 metres in 47 minutes and 37 sec.
Neeraj Yadav, Three-Time Asian Para Games Gold Medallist, Dies By Suicide
Para-athlete Neeraj Yadav has reportedly died by suicide after consuming poison.
Babus who call late meetings, delay files face scrutiny as cabinet secretary lists 12 types of secretaries
Cabinet Secretary T V Somanathan highlighted issues with bureaucratic efficiency at a recent performance review meeting. He presented a list of problematic behaviors affecting government productivity using cartoons. Somanathan emphasized the necessity of timely decision-making and better communication between ministries. Another topic addressed was the improper usage of ration cards by railway employees.
Delhi starts online liquor booking app: How to order favourite brands without waiting in queues, check process, outlet availability, and key rules
Delhi's latest initiative introduces an online liquor booking app, letting users select their favorite brands and make payments seamlessly. To streamline the process, residents have 48 hours to pick up their orders from one of the 208 designated shops. While home delivery isn’t an option, the app aims to eliminate long queues and enhance transparency.
1st batch of Agniveers retiring soon: What's the retirement money, career options and benefits they will get
By 2026, approximately 18,300 Agniveers will finish their service in the armed forces, marking a pivotal transition. To ease their shift into civilian life, numerous states have initiated job quotas specifically for ex-Agniveers across different uniformed services and police departments. These initiatives stem from the Agnipath scheme launched in June 2022, which focuses on enlisting younger individuals in military roles.
GST clarification on foreign investor brokerage offers sentiment boost, analysts say
The Indian government has clarified that brokerage paid by overseas clients may qualify as an export service. This could help foreign investors avoid the 18% goods and services tax on brokerage fees. Analysts suggest this clarification is sentimentally positive amid significant foreign outflows from Indian stocks. There is ongoing speculation regarding potential cuts in capital gains tax ahead of the federal budget.
'Copying China's manufacturing model may not pay off': Ashwini Vaishnaw hits back with ‘Cope harder’ remark, cites Rs 3 lakh crore PLI returns
Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw has hit back at criticism of India's mobile phone manufacturing strategy with a blunt “Cope harder” remark. Citing figures from the government's Production Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme, he said the government paid Rs 19,000 crore in incentives and collected Rs 25,000 crore in direct taxes, alongside Rs 3 lakh crore in GST. His response followed a Bloomberg Opinion video questioning India's iPhone manufacturing model, its dependence on imported components and the cost of government subsidies.