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Rohingyas: Denied on Land, Abandoned at Sea
In recent weeks, reports emerged of a group of Rohingya refugees left stranded at sea off the Indian coast—denied disembarkation, documentation, or clarity over their future. It is a haunting image: a vessel adrift not only in water, but within the legal and moral vacuum surrounding stateless people globally. For communities already uprooted by genocide, the sea has become both a passage of hope and a site of abandonment.
This unfolding episode is not isolated. It is part of a growing regional and global pattern—where political boundaries and security frameworks increasingly override humanitarian obligations. In the face of displacement, the question too often asked is not how can we help? but how can we avoid responsibility?
A statement by Refugees International called for urgent action, noting:
“India must immediately halt the deportation of Rohingya genocide survivors… These actions are not only a violation of international human rights and refugee law, but a stark betrayal of the country’s long tradition of offering refuge to those fleeing persecution.”
— Refugees International, May 2024
At Mudland, we approach this moment not as an anomaly, but as part of a broader narrative—one where civic space is narrowing, and the rights of refugees, stateless communities, and religious minorities are increasingly contested.
This is precisely why we created our Democracy Lab—to document the shifting ground beneath the promise of democratic values globally. Under this initiative, 'Wednesday in Camp Rohingya' sits under the Refugee Rights section, our internationally recognised short documentary, traces the lived experience of Rohingya communities in displacement camps in India. The film documents their uncertainty, resilience, and the invisible negotiations of everyday survival.
The recent abandonment of Rohingya refugees at sea is not an isolated humanitarian lapse—it is a symptom of a broader civic breakdown, where accountability is displaced and responsibility denied.
At Mudland, we build platforms that disrupt silence, mobilise communities, and insist on justice. Through our Democracy Lab, we continue to document these erasures—not for recognition, but to make absence impossible. Because when policies fail, narratives must intervene.