The Manipur government has begun deporting Myanmar nationals who had entered India “illegally”, chief minister, Biren Singh announced on X.
On Friday, March 8, the first batch of seven Myanmar nationals, all females including a minor, were deported to the border town of Moreh. Singh also shared a video clip showing the women being sent away from the Imphal airport.
A total of 77 Myanmar nationals will be repatriated between March 8 and 11 in separate batches, local media reports said. Of these, 55 are reported to be women, five are children, and the rest are males.
The central government has expressed deep concern over the escalation of violence in Myanmar and its spillover in the northeastern region. In a major blow to democracy, the military junta ousted the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi and seized power in a 2021 coup. Several rebel groups have taken control of different parts throughout the country resulting in a civil war.
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Since November 2023, over 600 Myanmar soldiers fled and entered across the Indian border in Mizoram after their camps were captured by rebel groups. Of them, 359 soldiers have already been sent back. Another group of 276 soldiers entered Bandukbanga village at the India-Myanmar-Bangladesh trijunction in Mizoram's Lawngtlai district on January 17, seeking assistance from the Assam Rifles.
To prevent unregulated movement across the porous border, the BJP government in February, suspended India’s Free Movement Regime (FMR) agreement with Myanmar “to ensure the internal security of the country and to maintain the demographic structure of India’s North Eastern States bordering Myanmar.” Home Minister Amit Shah also declared the government will construct a fence along the entire 1,643-kilometer Indo-Myanmar border
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Under the Free Movement Regime agreement, last revised in 2016, tribes from India and Myanmar residing within 16 km of the border can traverse on the other side with the help of a border pass.
