Sri Lanka blocks UN access to Rohingya detainees

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (MNTV) — Sri Lanka has continued to deny the United Nations refugee agency access to more than 100 Rohingya asylum-seekers, including women and children, who have been held under military custody for over a year, drawing concern from rights bodies and humanitarian officials.

The group, rescued at sea and brought ashore in November 2024, remains detained at an air force base in Mullaitivu in the country’s northeast, according to the Srilankan news portal The Leader. Despite repeated requests, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has not been granted permission to assess their protection needs or living conditions.

“UNHCR continues to formally request access to the group to assess their needs, vulnerabilities and claims for international protection, which has to date not been permitted,” said Mariko Hall, spokesperson for UNHCR’s Asia-Pacific regional office. She added that the agency remained “concerned about the well-being of this group, especially women, children and older people.”

The Rohingya asylum-seekers were fleeing violence in Myanmar when they were stranded at sea and later assisted by local fishermen before being taken into military custody. Although a court order had directed their transfer to a civilian detention facility near the capital, rights bodies say they were instead diverted to the Mullaitivu air force base following what has been described as high-level intervention.

Sri Lanka’s Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka has urged the government to allow immediate UNHCR access, warning that the prolonged detention of war-displaced civilians without a release timeline amounts to a serious humanitarian concern.

“These people are victims of conflict, but they are being treated as criminals,” said Gehan Gunatilleke, a commissioner of the Human Rights Commission. He said the U.N. refugee agency has the expertise to handle asylum claims and that continued delays were unjustifiable.

According to the commission, the group includes at least 57 children, several infants and newborns, including cases involving underage mothers. Rights officials have warned that continued military detention of minors may place Sri Lanka in violation of its obligations under international child protection and civil rights conventions.

UNHCR has said it is prepared to work with Sri Lankan authorities to provide humanitarian assistance and conduct protection assessments once access is granted. However, the agency has stressed that continued denial of access risks isolating the asylum-seekers from international protection mechanisms.

The case has intensified scrutiny of Sri Lanka’s approach to irregular maritime arrivals as displacement pressures persist across South and Southeast Asia due to ongoing instability in Myanmar.