Repatriate refugees, withdraw AR : Naga CSOs to Shah
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, June 14 2024: Several Naga civil society organisations have urged Union Home Minister Amit Shah to repatriate illegal immigrants from Myanmar to their country and withdraw Assam Rifles from Indo-Myanmar border and Kamjong areas.

After visiting Indo-Myanmar border areas on May 23 and 24 on a fact-finding mission, the United Naga Council (UNC), Naga Women's Union (NWU), All Naga Students Association Manipur (ANSAM) and Naga People's Movement for Human Rights (NPM-HR) submitted a memorandum to the Union Home Minister.

The memorandum pointed out that around 5457 illegal immigrants from Myanmar are being sheltered in eight Tangkhul villages of Kamjong and they have outnumbered local residents.

Repatriate refugees, withdraw AR : Naga CSOs to Shah

Increasing activities of anti-social elements are becoming unbearable with no law enforcing agencies to effectively control the same and foreign culture have overwhelmed the native customary practices due to sheer population imbalance.

Although biometrics have been captured for 5173 persons, monitoring the activities of adult male inmates (illegal immigrants) has become a huge challenge as the authority cannot regularly conduct verification exercises amidst the fluctuating numbers of inmates between daytime and night in those makeshift refugee camps.

"These dubious activities of young and adult immigrants are also a cause of concern as their prolonged sojourn in our land will be detrimental to our wellbeing" the Naga CSOs told Amit Shah.

They urged the Union Home Minister to explore ways and means to safely let them (illegal immigrants) return home, now that the violent confrontation has subsided in their country.

The Naga CSOs said that they were appalled to witness massive military mobi- lization along the Indo-Myanmar border and the belligerent attitude of the military personnel.

The Nagas are aware of the violent conflict in Myanmar and State of Manipur but there is no valid reason apart from imaginary threat perception as to why Naga villages should be made a turf for war preparedness, said the memorandum.

On the pretext of curbing movement of illegal refugees, arms and drug smuggling, presence of men in combat camouflage uniforms has created fear psy- chosis and insecurity to the villagers who are already reeling under the impact of massive inflow of fugitives from across the border, it said.

Occupying schools and village community halls that are located in the middle of the villages has been robbing the privacy of local residents.

By using the scarce resources of the villagers like water, natural resources etc, the illegal immigrants have been depriving the villagers of their basic necessity, it said.

Movement of military trucks at odd hours particularly at night across the border disturbing peace and tranquillity of the villages is highly questionable.

The villagers have suffered for so long and their rights violated beyond tolerance, the Naga CSOs said.

They added that frequent harassment of the trading community has become the order of the day with restriction of goods laden vehicles for days incurring massive losses to their businesses.

"We urge your good self to kindly withdraw the Assam Rifles from those areas as we do not foresee any imminent threats as a consequence of the conflict from across the border unless the Government of India has any ulterior motive", the memo added.