A Myanmar-based committee representing refugees has voiced concern over the deportation of Myanmarese refugees from Manipur, urging the State Government to provide them with the option to decide whether to return or remain in Manipur until the situation in Myanmar stabilises.
The Burma Refugees Committee in Kabaw Valley welcomed the Manipur Government’s decision to release 77 refugees but expressed dismay at the prospect of them being handed over to the military regime in Myanmar.
Citing the imposition of the ‘conscription law’ (People’s Military Service Law) by Myanmar on February 10, the committee highlighted the widespread apprehension among the country’s populace.
Expressing grave concern, the organisation stated, “We fear that handing over the Myanmar nationals to the Junta could lead to the military regime using them as human shields in the conflict zones.”
Over the past two years, intense clashes between the Junta and pro-democracy forces have engulfed Myanmar, leading to a mass exodus of people to neighbouring States like Mizoram and Manipur.
The refugee committee appealed to the Manipur Government to reconsider the deportation plan on socio-political and humanitarian grounds, emphasising the importance of providing refugees with a choice regarding their future.
“We request that Myanmar nationals be given the option to either return to Myanmar or remain in Manipur temporarily until conditions are conducive for a safe return,” the organisation stated.
Additionally, the committee urged the Manipur Government to allow refugees to reside in border areas upon release until they can safely return to their homes.
The 77 refugees, including 51 women and five children, were apprehended for illegally entering Bharat and held at a detention centre in Imphal. Eight have already been deported.
According to official records, between May 3 last year and February 27 this year, 6,746 Myanmar nationals were detected in Manipur, with 259 repatriated after their biometric data was recorded.
