New Delhi/Aizawl: The Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) which is closely monitoring the situation along the Mizoram-Myanmar border following the recent influx of refugees from the neighbouring state in the past two weeks, had directed the Assam Rifles to intensify its counter measures.
Assam Rifles, which mans the Indo-Myanmar border, had been tasked to deter the refugees from crossing over to the Indian side. “We have intensified our patrolling along the Indo-Myanmar border,” a senior Assam Rifles official said when ETV Bharat asked about the counter measures.
Altogether 30,401 people from Myanmar have crossed the international border and taken refuge in Mizoram after the neighbouring country's military ousted the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi there in February last year, Mizoram Home Minister Lalchamliana informed the assembly on Tuesday.
Of the 30,401 Myanmar nationals, 29,253 are currently in shelters in the state as per reports submitted by district deputy commissioners to the home department on August 20, the minister said in a written reply. The government has completed the profiling of all the Myanmar people in the state, while identity cards and refugee certificates have been issued to 30,177 people.
"Although profiling is more or less completed, it is a continuous process and conducted in a phased manner as there are still new entrants and some people used to return to their villages on a regular basis," he said. Lalchamliana said the state disaster management and rehabilitation department has so far disbursed Rs three crore as a relief to the refugees.
There has been a fresh influx of people from the neighbouring country in the state's southernmost Lawngtlai district in the wake of fierce clashes between the Myanmar Army and the Arakan Army (AA), an official said. “Unable to bear the torture meted by Tatmadaw (Myanmar armed forces), the people are fleeing their places and entering into India,” another official said. He added that the issue has been communicated to the Union government.
Last year, similar incidents of influx took place from Myanmar following which the Home Ministry had asked the State governments in Northeast especially Mizoram and Manipur not to give shelter to the people coming from across the border. Thousands of people from Myanmar fled to Mizoram last year when the Myanmar Army took power through a coup.
The people (coming from Myanmar) took shelter in different places of Mizoram and they were being provided with food and other relief materials by the state government, NGOs, student bodies, churches and village authorities. India and Myanmar share a 1640-kilometer border with Northeastern States including Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Mizoram, and Manipur share its boundaries with Myanmar.
The MHA had reiterated to these four States that they do not have any power to grant refugee status to any foreigners. Last year, Mizoram Chief Minister Zoramthanga had appealed to the Prime Minister Narendra Modi to take measures so that the north-eastern states can continue to provide humanitarian assistance to people of Myanmar who have taken refuge in these States. (with PTI inputs)
