Chief Minister Zoramthanga says the MHA’s order not to accept the refugees was unacceptable.
On Saturday, an official said that Mizoram Chief Minister Zoramthanga called the Center’s order “unacceptable” to stop illegal immigration from Myanmar and ensure speedy deportation of refugees and asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi to give them asylum on humanitarian grounds Has requested.
Since occupying power in Myanmar last month, hundreds of refugees, including several policemen, have arrived in Mizoram.
Mr. Zoramthanga said that since the people of his state share ethnic ties with refugees from the Chin community of Myanmar, they cannot remain indifferent to their plight.
An official in the Chief Minister’s Office said that Mr. Zoramthanga, the head of the ruling MNF, wrote a letter to Mr. Modi on March 18, seeking his personal intervention to provide asylum to political refugees on humanitarian grounds.
He said that the Ministry of Home Affairs advice (MHA) for Mizoram, Nagaland, Arunachal Pradesh and Manipur on 10 March was not acceptable to his state.
Although the MNF is part of the BJP-led North East Democratic Alliance (NEDA), it has no alliance with the saffron party in the state.
“This (MHA consultant) is not acceptable to Mizoram. I understand that there are some foreign policy issues where India needs to proceed with caution. However, we cannot ignore this humanitarian crisis,” Mr. Zoramthanga said in the letter, a copy of which is available with PTI.
He said Mizoram, bordering Myanmar, is home to people from the Chin community who share ethnic ties and had close contact with the people of the state before India became independent.
Zoramthanga said that “human catastrophes are occurring in vast proportions” in Myanmar and innocent civilians are being killed by the military, which is supposed to protect them.
Every day, panicked Myanmar people are struggling to cross into Mizoram in search of shelter and security, he said.
The letter reads, “Therefore, Mizoram cannot just be indifferent to their sufferings. India cannot turn a blind eye to this humanitarian crisis facing us in its backyard.”
Mr. Zoramthanga said that India should act in this matter as the world’s largest democracy and Myanmar’s immediate neighbor.
Meanwhile, Mizoram Rajya Sabha member K.K. Vanlalwena said the number of refugees from Myanmar seeking asylum in the northeastern state has exceeded 1,000.
However, an official of the State Criminal Investigation Department (CID), citing official records, said that a total of 547 Myanmar citizens have entered Mizoram since the coup on 1 February.
He said the actual number could be higher as many Mizoram residents have sheltered Myanmar refugees without informing authorities.
He said that the people of Myanmar, who are leading the coup, have taken refuge in eight districts and most of them are run by local NGOs.
Several organizations, including the state’s highest student body Mizo Zirlai Paval (MZP), are raising funds to support the refugees.
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