Assam, Sep 13 (V7N)- Hundreds of Rohingya refugees, including women and children, have launched a hunger strike to protest their prolonged detention in a camp in India's northeastern state of Assam. The protest, which began on Monday, aims to demand their immediate release from the Matia Transit Camp, the largest detention facility for undocumented immigrants in India, according to Reuters.

The hunger strike involves 103 Rohingya refugees and 30 members of Myanmar's Chinese community, many of whom possess refugee cards issued by the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR). Despite some of the detainees having completed their sentences, they remain confined in the detention camp, prompting further frustration.

One Rohingya protester told Reuters that 36 of the hunger strikers hold UNHCR refugee cards, yet remain detained. He also highlighted the poor living conditions inside the camp and the restrictions on family visits, adding to the detainees' sense of isolation and desperation.

Ravi Kota, a senior Assam official, acknowledged the situation and said that the protestors are demanding freedom. The state government has dispatched officials to the Matia Transit Camp to investigate the detainees' concerns. Once the investigation is complete, a report will be submitted to the government.

Kota noted that the legal status of the detainees varies, as not all were held under the same court orders. Authorities are working to determine the specific charges and legal circumstances of each detainee to assess their cases properly.

The ongoing hunger strike underscores the increasingly desperate plight of Rohingya refugees, many of whom fled persecution in Myanmar only to face prolonged detention in India.

END/AJ/RH