Fifteen Christian refugees from Myanmar were put out to sea eight weeks ago by India’s navy and their fate remains unknown.
Morning Star News says the ethnic Rohingya Christians were among 38 people that Delhi police and Indian officials deported May 6.
The 15 Christians included 10 men and five women, according to sources, whose relatives were among those cast into the sea. Three were elderly. Some people did not know how to swim.
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The navy gave the Christians the choice of being deported to Indonesia or Myanmar (also called Burma). Because they had fled persecution from Myanmar’s military, the Christians chose Indonesia. Yet after being cast into the sea and finally reaching land, they found themselves again in Myanmar. A source said there is no further information about the Christians since shortly after going ashore.
The source told Morning Star that India accepted 150 Rohingya Christian refugees in 2014, giving some long-term visas. In 2017, the government cancelled the visas and declared the Rohingyas as being there illegally.
On Feb. 26, authorities summoned the 150 to provide biometrics. On May 6, 15 of them were then summoned to resubmit theirs. The source said the 15 ultimately were taken to Inderlok Detention Center. On May 9, the source received a call from his brother, who said they had been given life jackets, were put out to sea and had swum to Myanmar.
World Watch
India is No. 11 and Myanmar ranks No. 13 on Open Doors’ 2025 World Watch List of the 50 places most difficult to be a Christian.
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