Manipur withdraws order that prohibited food and shelter to fleeing Myanmarese nationals

Don't provide shelter, food to Myanmar refugees, Manipur govt told officials to 'politely turn them away' in an order earlier

Manipur government has withdrawn its order, issued on March 26, that barred the district administration and civil society organisations from providing food and shelter to Myanmarese nationals fleeing the neighbouring country and seeking refuge in the state.

H Gyan Prakash, Special Secretary (Home Department, Manipur), issued a fresh letter on Monday which conveyed to the five district administration officials about the BJP-led state government's decision to withdraw the earlier order.

"It appears that the content of the letter has been misconstrued and interpreted differently. The state government has been taking all humanitarian steps, including taking the injured Myanmarese nationals to Imphal for treatment. The state government continues to provide all aid," said Monday's letter.

Also Read | Don't provide shelter, food to Myanmar refugees, Manipur govt tells officials to 'politely turn them away'

DH on Monday reported that Gyan Prakash asked Chandel, Tengnoupal, Kamjong, Ukhrul and Churachandpur districts not to operate any camp and also not to allow the civil society organisations to operate such camp to provide food and shelter to such people.

But the letter asked the districts to allow medical attention to the seriously injured persons from Myanmar on humanitarian consideration. "People trying to enter/seek refuge should be politely turned away," said the letter.

The letter was issued a day after three Myanmarese nationals, who were injured in firing by the army on pro-democracy protesters at Tamu in Myanmar reached Moreh border in Manipur and "begged" Indian officials to save their lives. The injured men, aged between 29 and 31, were allowed in and admitted to a hospital at Moreh first. They were later rushed to a hospital in Manipur capital Imphal on March 26.

Tamu is about five km away from Moreh, India's border point with Myanmar. Manipur shares about a 400-km border with Myanmar.

A local leader at Moreh told DH on Monday that a group of Myanmarese nationals, including women and children, was "turned away" into Myanmar on March 26 following the Home Department's order.

The Centre recently asked Manipur, Nagaland, Mizoram and Arunachal Pradesh to step up vigil on the unfenced Indo-Mynamar border in order to prevent influx from the coup-hit Myanmar.

But Mizoram Chief Minister Zoramthanga wrote a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi stating that the directive was not acceptable to Mizoram as people on both sides of the border belonged to the Chin community and Mizoram could not give a "blind eye" to the humanitarian crisis in Myanmar and people on both sides are same Chin community, Zoramthanga said