South Asian refugees who have fled to India face serious problems in their daily lives. From forcible repatriation to starvation, refugees find themselves on the edge, clawing for mere survival. India has provided shelter to these refugees for centuries for both geopolitical and socioeconomic reasons. Political upheaval occurring in unstable countries bordering India often created political upheavals, forcing citizens to seek refuge elsewhere. Additionally, ethnic and religious persecution forced minorities to join similar peoples in India’s multi-ethnic and multilingual society. Better opportunities to start afresh and improved living conditions also contributed to India’s appeal.

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Refugee Protection in IndiaRead More »

Return of the Maoists: Midnight Knocks and Extra-Judicial Killings in Nepal

 1. PREFACE
South Asia Human Rights Documentation Centre (SAHRDC) has been receiving reports of human rights abuses by Nepalese Police and Maoist cadres in the Rapti region of mid-western Nepal for a little over six months. “The People’s War” declared by the Samyukta Jana Morcha (SJM) (United Peoples Front), a radical communist group, in mid-western Nepal in November 1995 provided the Nepalese Police with ample opportunity to violate basic norms of human rights and fundamental freedoms. The situation deteriorated when the SJM cadres attacked two police stations on 13 February 1996 to herald the second phase of the “People’s War”. There have been reports of flagrant human rights abuses including arbitrary arrests, detention, extrajudicial killings and disappearances.

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Return of the Maoists: Midnight knocks and extrajudicial killings in NepalRead More »

The South Asia Human Rights Documentation Centre (SAHRDC) has closely been monitoring the situation of the Burmese refugees in Asia with special focus on India.

Hundreds of pro-democracy activists took shelter in border states of North east India. The staunch support of pro-democracy movement by former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi made students in Yangoon to seek help from India. However, after five years diplomatic stand-off, Prime Minister Narashima Rao sent Mr J N Dixit to Yangoon in April 1993 to mend fences with the State Law and Order Restoration Council (SLORC). The Deputy Foreign Minister of Burma also visited New Delhi early 1994 and exerted pressure upon New Delhi to stop anti-SLORC activities..

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The Situation of Burmese Refugees in Asia: Special Focus on IndiaRead More »

The following study conducted by the South Asia Human Rights Documentation Centre (SAHRDC) seeks to examine the services offered by the New Delhi office of the United Nations High Commissioner of Refugees (UNHCR) to the refugee population in the Union Territory of Delhi, India. This examination is done keeping in view the provisions of the 1951 United Nations Convention relating to the Status of Refugees, the 1967 Protocol, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), the UNHCR guidelines as well as other related International instruments.

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The State of Refugees under the Protection of UNHCR in New DelhiRead More »

Since September 1988, when the State Law and Order Restoration Council (SLORC) came to power, approximately one million Burmese nationals have fled to neighboring states. Approximately 55,000 Burmese nationals are currently in India, however, of that number, only about 467 are recognized and protected refugees of the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) in India. This report focuses on the plight of Burmese refugees in India, in particular, the predicament of Burmese nationals who remain unrecognized and unassisted in the North Eastern frontier, and the situation of the refugee population in Delhi.

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Survival, Dignity and Democracy: Burmese Refugees in India, 1997Read More »