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

The Manipur government has directed five districts bordering Myanmar not to open any camp to provide shelter and food to those fleeing the coup-hit country and seeking refuge in the state.

In an official order issued on March 26, H Gyan Prakash, special secretary (Home Department) asked Chandel, Tengnoupal, Kamjong, Ukhrul and Churachandpur districts to not allow the civil society organisations to operate camps 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.

A copy of the letter is with DH and its authenticity was confirmed by Manipur Chief Minister's office. "This is an official order but we are trying to help these people unofficially and on humanitarian ground," said an official, while requesting anonymity.

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.

Also read — 3 injured Myanmar nationals arrive in Manipur seeking medical help

Tamu is about 5 kilometres 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 were "turned away" 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 Chin community and they could give a "blind eye" to the humanitarian crisis.