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AFP
Hundreds of thousands of Rohingya have fled violence in Myanmar
India deported seven Rohingya Muslims to Myanmar despite last-minute calls that put them at risk.
The men had been in detention since 2012 for immigration offenses. Earlier in the day, the Supreme Court refused to intervene to stop their deportation.
At least 700,000 Rohingyas fled to neighboring Bangladesh to flee the violence in Myanmar last year.
UN officials have accused the Myanmar army of ethnic cleansing. The army says she's attacked the insurgents.
The Rohingya are one of Myanmar's many ethnic minorities, where the government considers them illegal immigrants from neighboring Bangladesh and denies them citizenship.
The seven men deported Thursday had been buried in a detention center in the state of Assam, India. They were handed over at the Moreh border post in the neighboring state of Manipur.
"These are Myanmar nationals whose identity has been confirmed by their government.The government has given them permits to travel," Vineet Khare, LS Changsan, senior manager of the BBC, told BBC. Assam.
Tendayi Achiume, UN Special Rapporteur on Racism, said India may violate its international legal obligations by referring men to potential harm.
"Given the ethnic identity of men, there is a flagrant denial of their right to protection," she told the AFP news agency.
It is the first deportations of Rohingyas from India since the deadly police attack in the state of Rakhine, Myanmar, in August 2017, which triggered a military offensive.
According to Indian officials, two Rohingyas were fired in August, but Myanmar has not confirmed this claim.
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Last year, India announced that it would deport its entire Rohingya population, estimated at about 40,000 people. This number includes about 18,000 Rohingyas registered as refugees by the UN.
Despite international pressure on Myanmar, India is actively seeking good relations with the country's military leaders.
According to correspondents, India hopes to mobilize its help to act against militants in northeastern India, many of whom are based in the Myanmar jungle.
The Indian government also wants to increase its influence in Southeast Asia to counter China's growing presence in the region.
