Appeal to Treat the Myanmar Citizens Humanely

28 June 2022

The Citizen's Committee Manipur (CCM) has come to learn that about a hundred suspected Myanmar citizens, including women and children, taking shelter in Churachanpur town were arrested today morning (Tuesday: 28 June 2022).

CCM has also been informed that they were initially kept at the police station but were not given any food till noon, causing much hardships especially for the children. Till late afternoon they are not produced before any magistrate either. They are reportedly taken to Imphal. CCM shares the anxiety of the families and friends of those arrested as their whereabouts, safety and security are not known.

CCM appeal to the Government of Manipur that the suspected Myanmar nationals be treated humanely, transparently and by respecting their rights guaranteed by law at every stage of the arrest and detention.

Considering the civil unrest and tumultuous situation inside Myanmar following the military coup, our brethren and sisters who have fled their home and herds seeking shelter in our land should be treated as refugees and asylum seekers as per international human rights standards and not as illegal immigrants.

Government should respect the well established principle of non-refoulment and desist from any attempt to forcibly repatriate them.

As done by the Government of Mizoram, the Government of Manipur should seriously consider adopting a smarter and more humane response to the refugee crisis.

The first step could be to issuing identity cards for the Myanmar nationals living in the state and setting up designated camps with basic facilities where they can spend sometime before the situation back home comes to some level of normalcy.

After all it was how the Government of Manipur dealt with a similar situation in the past during the 8-8-88 crisis in the neighbouring country. Manipur shares not only a long border but also a long history with Myanmar. Hence our response to their crisis needs to be nuanced and humane.

(Babloo Loitongbam)
Convenor
Citizen's Committee Manipur (CCM)