5 illegally migrated Myanmar nationals arrested in Assam’s Cachar

The detained are all residents of Tiddin village under Sezang police station of Myanmar’s Chin district

Five illegally migrated Myanmar nationals have been detained by Assam police at Lailapur inter-state border on Friday evening. According to the police, they were travelling without any valid document. During interrogation, they admitted that they are residents Chin district of Myanmar. They entered India through Mizoram and were attempting to move towards Delhi.

5 illegally migrated Myanmar nationals arrested in Assam’s Cachar

The detained have been identified as Thang Khawm Pau (21), Khen Khan Kham (19), Pau Hawmliam Mung (23), Cin Aih Mang (23) and Pau Biak Muang (19). They all are residents of Tiddin village under Sezang police station of Myanmar’s Chin district, informed Superintendent of police of Cachar district Ramandip Kaur.

She said, “Based on secret information, our officials searched a few vehicles coming from Mizoram at Lailapur border check-post where they detained these five. A 19-year-old lady named Dimdeihluni who claims to be a resident of Champai district of Mizoram has also been arrested for helping the migrants. Though she said, she is a resident of Mizoram, she couldn’t show any document to prove it. We are interrogating these people and trying to find out the reason for their arrival.”

Officials from Cachar police opined that Mizos allow few tribes of Myanmar to enter into Indian territory because of a sense of brotherhood between them.

“People residing in Myanmar’s Chin district use a route through Tiau River to enter Mizoram. A large border is left open for the Myanmarese refugees who are troubled by the country’s military. The Mizos consider them Raltlan (brothers) and they say that they belong to the same tribe, so there is free entry to the country. But this is not applicable for Rohingyas residing in Myanmar,” an official said.

India’s Ministry of Home Affairs recently asked the Mizoram state to seal the border and prevent any attempt of migration from Myanmar. But few Mizo villages along the international border have refused to obey. They are welcoming refugees migrating from Chin province, a Cachar police official said.

After a firing between the police of Assam and Mizoram at Lailapur inter-state border on July 26 this year, where six Assam police officials died, Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sharma claimed that thousands of illegally migrated Myanmar nationals entered into Mizoram and are involved in encroaching Assam’s land. He also claimed that these Myanmar nationals are involved in illegal activities and are trained in using guns and other weapons.

Mizoram government recently allowed the children of Myanmar refugees to get education in the state-run government schools.