MPP shares thoughts on refugees from Myanmar

By Our Staff Reporter
IMPHAL, May 27 : The Manipur People's Party (MPP) has demanded the State Government to make public the exact number of  Myanmar Nationals who had entered and are settling in Manipur following the recent coup in Myanmar.
Vice president of the party, Dr S Ibomcha, in a statement said after the military seized power in February many have fled Myanmar and sought refuge in North East States, particularly Manipur and Mizoram.
As such districts of Manipur sharing boundary with Myanmar including Ukhrul, Chandel, Teng-noupal, Churachandpur, Pherzawl, Tamenglong and Jiribam must have witnessed an influx of Myanmar Nationals, said the vice president while urging the State Government to ask a detailed report on the influx from DCs and SPs concerned and make the exact figure public.
While urging for the exact number of Myanmar Nationals and ensure all sort of humanitarian aid, the party also called on the State Government to make necessary arrangements to deport them to their country as soon as normalcy returns.
Manipur is well aware of the impact to the indigenous people due to the unabated intrusion of foreign Nationals and if the matter is not attended it can lead to undesirable developments.
After its merger with India, Manipur has undoubtedly witnessed massive influx from Myanmar, Bangladesh and Nepal thereby posing a potential threat to the existence of the indigenous people, it said with concern.
The State Government has failed to deport many foreign Nationals despite having worked out formalities for deportation, it said while adding that even ILP which has been enforced for nearly one and half year has remained ineffective.
Even after the implementation of the ILP, the State has not yet been able to decide the base year for identifying migrants in Manipur nor has it a concrete policy to stop influx of foreign Nationals, the party said.
While urging the State Government to strengthen the ILP System, the party went on to remind the State Government that continued presence of Myanmar Nationals in the State in the long run may directly or directly affect the indigenous people of the State.