Amidst reports of Myanmar migrants’ involvement in the ongoing violence in Manipur, the National Unity Government of Myanmar has issued a public notice to Myanmar migrants to stay away from political and administrative matters of the Indian state where they are taking temporary shelter.
The notice of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Myanmar, issued on June 15 2023, instructed Myanmar nationals who are temporarily sheltering in India for security reasons to refrain from any act that is prejudicial to the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Republic of India.
It also warned Myanmar nationals in India “to be cautious and avoid unnecessary involvement in political and administrative matters (e.g. political parties election campaigns, and ethnic-based conflicts) of the state where they are taking refuge.”
While instructing not to get involved in the illegal trafficking of drugs and wild animals and related matters, the public notice also requested the Myanmar nationals in India to live in harmony and appropriately with host communities and follow the religious and social rules regulated in the wards or villages where they are residing.
The ongoing unprovoked war against Meitei (mostly Hindu) community is largely seen as an act of Myanmar migrants who have been illegally sheltering in the state for around 2-3 decades.
According to reports, illegal Myanmar nationals have been indulging in narco-terrorism activities.
Various civil society organization have alleged Myanmar migrants for orchestrating the present violence in Manipur which have claimed above 100 lives and displaced around 70,000 people in the last 45 days of the continuing attack on Meitei allegedly by the Chin-Kuki-Mizo-Zo community.
The ongoing attack on the Meitei community was started after a rally organised by the All Tribal Students’ Union Manipur (ATSUM) on May 3, 2023, turned violent.
Interestingly, the rally of ATSUM which ignited the communal flame was organised a day after the Chief of Manipur launched the Facial Recognition System to detect undocumented migrants in the state on 2 May 2023.
The State Government had also constituted the Cabinet Sub-Committee on Identification of Illegal Immigrants to check undocumented Myanmar refugees and take appropriate actions. The Committee, which was headed by Cabinet Minister, Letpao Haokip identified more than 2000 Myanmar nationals, who are taking temporary shelter in Manipur at different shelter homes due to the conflict in their country.
