700 Myanmar Nationals Enter Manipur, Government Expresses Concern Asks Assam Riffle For Report

The Manipur government’s statement assumes significance as it asks the Assam Rifles how, under its watch, over 700 Myanmar nationals entered India in just two days amid the tensions prevailing in Manipur

The Manipur government has asked the Assam Rifles to provide a thorough report on how at least 718 citizens of Myanmar, in only two days. According to a statement released by the Home Department late on Monday, people who didn’t have “proper travel documents” on July 22 and 23 “were allowed to enter India”. The remark takes on significance when it questions the Assam Rifles on how, while under its supervision, over 700 citizens of Myanmar entered India in just two days, given the tensions present in Manipur as a result of the over two-month-long ethnic fighting between the valley-majority Meiteis and the hill-majority Kuki tribe.

The state government expresses their concern  that there is no way of knowing whether arms and ammunition may have been brought along with the fresh group of Myanmar nationals who crossed over to India, people with direct knowledge of the matter told without asking to be identified.

The Manipur Home Department released a statement on Monday citing information from the Headquarters 28 Sector Assam Rifles that 718 new refugees had entered Manipur through the Chandel district on July 23 after fleeing continuous fighting in Khampat.

Statements by officials

In a statement signed by Manipur Chief Secretary Dr. Vineet Joshi, the Manipur government claimed that it had explicitly instructed the Assam Rifles, the border-guarding force, to take strict action to prevent entry of Myanmar nationals to Manipur on any grounds without a valid visa or travel documents.

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In a statement the officials stated “The state government views the fresh illegal entry of 718 refugees very seriously with utmost sensitivity as the same may have international ramifications more particularly in view of the ongoing law and order issues,” 

The Manipur government requested a thorough report from the Assam Rifles authority to explain the facts and circumstances surrounding how and why these 718 Myanmar nationals were permitted to enter India in the Chandel district without valid travel documents, as well as strict instructions to deport those 718 illegal Myanmar nationals right away.

The government gave the Chandel district deputy commissioner and the superintendent of police orders to investigate the situation and to hold the Myanmar nationals’ biometric data and photos. Manipur is gradually getting back to normal, but it still needs a lot of work to recover completely. The ethnic conflict that began on May 3 has claimed over 150 lives. There have been thousands of internal relocations. Manipur has been without internet for over two months now.