Over 2,200 Myanmar nationals take refuge in Manipur amid unrest: Officials
The crackdown of the military on rebel groups in Myanmar border villages has triggered mass influx of Myanmar Nationals into Manipur
Over 2,200 people from Myanmar have entered Manipur’s bordering district of Kamjong to take shelter in the past few days amid unrest in the neighbouring country, officials confirmed on Monday.
“As of December 10, about 2,260 refugees have taken shelter in Kamjong district and about 1,778 biometrics have been captured. Some of them arrived on Sunday,” said a senior district official of Kamjong district.”
The refugees, mostly women and children, have been provided with food, necessary household items etc since last month at areas under Phaikoh, H Thana/Sangkalok, K Ashang Khullen, Wanglee and Namlee villages, officials said.
Five Manipur districts -- Churachandpur, Chandel, Kamjong, Tengnoupal and Ukhrul share a 398-km-long international border with Myanmar. Kamjong district alone shares 109 km of border with Myanmar.
However, there is no border fencing along the Kamjong sector of the international border with Myanmar except the border pillars, an official said.
The Assam Rifles along with Manipur police are manning the border region to check cross border movement.
Lack of a proper border fence in Kamjong district is said to be one major problem facing the district administration in preventing illegal infiltration, people familiar with the matter observed.
The crackdown of the military on rebel groups in Myanmar border villages has triggered mass influx of Myanmar Nationals into Manipur, they felt.
Around 718 Myanmar nationals including 209 male, 208 female and 301 children were detected at New Lajang, Yangnomphai saw mill, Yangnomphai, New Samtal, Bonse, Aivomjang and Lajang in Manipur’s border districts in July this year, according to officials familiar with the matter.
In February 2023, chief minister N Biren Singh informed the state Assembly that 393 Myanmar nationals were apprehended in the state from January 1,2012 till February, 2023.