India rejects ‘biased’ UN report linking Pahalgam attack to Rohingya treatment

India has strongly rejected a recent United Nations human rights report on Myanmar that it described as “biased and communal.” The report, prepared by Thomas Andrews, the UN Special Rapporteur on human rights in Myanmar, claimed that the April 2025 terrorist attack in Pahalgam had influenced India’s treatment of Rohingya refugees.

Addressing a briefing on Myanmar at the UN General Assembly, BJP MP Dilip Saikia, who is part of India’s delegation, condemned the claims and criticised the Special Rapporteur’s approach.

“I strongly denounce the biased approach adopted by the Special Rapporteur in viewing the innocent civilian victims of the Pahalgam terrorist attack through a communal lens,” Saikia said.

Rejecting the allegations, Saikia stated, “The claim that this terrorist attack affected displaced persons from Myanmar has absolutely no factual basis. My country rejects such prejudiced and blinkered analysis by the Special Rapporteur.”

Thomas Andrews, a former US Democratic Congressman and now director of Harvard University’s Southeast Asia Human Rights Project, alleged in his report that Myanmar refugees in India have faced “increased pressure” following the Pahalgam attack, despite no individuals from Myanmar being involved in the incident.

Andrews also referred to the attack as one on “Hindu tourists,” though reports indicate that the terrorists’ motive was to target non-Muslims, with one of the victims being a Christian.

Responding to these remarks, Saikia urged Andrews to “refrain from relying on unverified and skewed media reports whose purpose appears to be maligning India, a country where people of all faiths coexist, including over 200 million Muslims constituting nearly 10 per cent of the world’s Muslim population.”

The BJP MP also drew attention to India’s security concerns, stating that authorities have observed “an alarming level of radicalisation among displaced Rohingyas,” which has created challenges for law enforcement.

The Rohingya crisis traces back to the actions of the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA), a militant group led by Karachi-born Ataullah abu Ammar Jununi. In 2017, ARSA carried out communal attacks in Myanmar, killing 99 Hindus, including women and children, and abducting several others, according to Amnesty International.

Outlining India’s position on the ongoing situation in Myanmar, Saikia said, “India continues to advocate for an immediate cessation of violence, the release of political prisoners, unhindered humanitarian assistance, and an inclusive political dialogue. We firmly believe that lasting peace can only be achieved through inclusive dialogue and the early restoration of democracy via credible and participatory elections.”

Andrews’ report also claimed that Rohingya refugees in India had been detained, interrogated, and threatened with deportation. He further alleged that around 40 refugees were taken by sea and left off Myanmar’s coast, while others were deported to Bangladesh.

Special Rapporteurs are independent and unpaid experts appointed by the UN Human Rights Council to examine specific human rights issues. Their reports, however, do not necessarily reflect the views of the UN secretary-general.

With IANS inputs