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Myanmar man with gunshot wound crosses border to India, dies in Manipur hospital
The incident happened amid increased violence between pro-democracy rebel outfits and the Myanmar army in the neighbouring country
A Myanmar national, who sustained gunshot injury and crossed the border to India seeking help, died at a hospital in Manipur’s capital Imphal on Thursday, officials said.
The incident happened at a time when Manipur is witnessing ethnic clashes between Meitei and tribal Kuki communities including in areas close to the border with Myanmar and amid increased violence between pro-democracy rebel outfits and the Myanmar army in the neighbouring country.
“On the intervening night of Wednesday and Thursday, a Myanmar national who had sustained gunshot wounds crossed over to the Indian side and sought help from personnel at an Assam Rifles post located at Chassad in Ukhrul district of Manipur,” said an Indian Army official requesting anonymity.
The injured person was then handed by the Assam Rifles to state police personnel. Officials stated that he was then taken to Imphal and admitted at the Jawaharlal Nehru Institute of Medical Sciences (JNIMS) where he later succumbed to injuries.
Details of how the Myanmar national sustained injuries and how was he able to cross the border to India are not available yet. Officials stated that a crowd gathered outside JNIMS after news of the Myanmar national (suspected to be a Kuki) getting admitted spread and police had to beef up security measures.
On Wednesday, Manipur chief minister N Biren Singh stated that security had been reinforced in areas of the state bordering Myanmar due to the recent unrest in the neighbouring country.
Last week, over 5,000 Myanmar residents, including some army personnel, had crossed over to India in Mizoram, following clashes between pro-democracy rebel outfits and Myanmar army.
“Due to the prevailing situation in Myanmar, we have reinforced our security forces to the border. Apart from Assam Rifles, state police, Border Security Force (BSF) and Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel have been deployed. We are monitoring the situation very strictly,” said Singh.
Ethnic clashes between Meiteis, who are in majority in Imphal Valley, and tribal Kukis, who are dominant in a few hill districts, have roiled Manipur since May 3. Till date, the violence has claimed at least 181 lives and displaced around 50,000.
