Over 5,000 refugees sheltering in Manipur’s Naga district, fearing aerial bombardment, attacks in Myanmar: Assam Rifles DG 

Over 5,400 Myanmar refugees seek shelter in Manipur's Kamjong district, amid ethnic conflict and military presence, raising concerns.

Fearing “aerial bombardment and attacks”, about 5,400 people from Myanmar have taken shelter in Manipur’s Kamjong district, Assam Rifles Director General Pradeep Chandran Nair told The Hindu.

Lt. Gen. Nair said that the refugees have been staying in temporary settlements in the border district since November last year.

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“There is every likelihood that they would return once the situation normalises in Myanmar; right now, there is a threat to their safety there. The State government is aware of their presence,” he said.

The issue of undocumented migrants in the Naga-dominated district has added another dimension to the ongoing ethnic conflict in Myanmar between the tribal Kuki-Zo people and the majority Meitei community. At least 221 people have been killed and more than 50,000 people displaced since the conflict erupted in the State on May 3, 2023.

Manipur’s population includes people from 34 Scheduled Tribes, includes the Kuki-Zo-Hmar people and the Nagas.

Kamjong district shares its eastern border with Myanmar. To its west are the Thoubal and Kangpokpi districts, dominated by Meiteis and Kuki-Zos respectively. Since the 2021 military coup in Myanmar, many people have crossed over to Mizoram and Manipur due to shared ethnic ties with the people of these States. India and Myanmar share an unfenced border; earlier this year, however, Union Home Minister Amit Shah announced the suspension of the Free Movement Regime (FMR) with the neighbouring country, added that the 1,643 km border would be fenced. The Assam Rifles is deployed along the Myanmar border.