NHRC notice to Tamil Nadu over plight of refugees from Myanmar

NEW DELHI: Refugees from Myanmar, left "wandering on the streets" of Chennai looking for accommodation, has caught the attention of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) which has issued a notice to the Tamil Nadu government in this regard.

The state government and Chennai Police Commissioner have been given four weeks time to respond to the notices.

Taking suo motu cognisance of a media report, NHRC Member Justice D Murugesan observed that the refugees, numbering around 57 including women and children, were made to wander in "utter disregard to their human rights."

"The state authorities have the duty to protect the human rights of the refugees and to provide shelter to them...the report, if true, raise a serious issue of violation of human rights," the commission said.

According to the report, the refugees arrived at Thiruvalluar Street, Manali, Tamil Nadu on September 3 with their belongings to stay there following which the residents and authorities made enquiries from them.

"They informed that they are from Myanmar and they came to Chennai during the year 2012 and stayed at Kelampakkam, Chennai. The owner of the land in which they stayed, asked them to vacate and therefore, one Kabir Bai brought them to Manali to settle them.

"...due to the opposition from people of the locality, the local police asked them to vacate. Hence, they moved away from Manali to Mannadi," it said.