Security forces in India on Friday stepped up security on the border with Myanmar to stop refugees from entering the country, days after some police officers crossed over to escape taking orders from the military leaders there, Reuters reported.
“As of now, we are not letting anybody enter,” Maria Zauli, magistrate of Mizoram’s Champhai district, told the news agency. Zauli said both soldiers and police personnel were patrolling the frontier.
India shares a 1,643-km-long border with Myanmar, where more than 50 people, mostly peaceful protestors, have been killed since country’s military ousted the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi in a coup on February 1.
Earlier this month, a group of low-ranking Myanmar police officers, who were unwilling to obey orders to suppress demonstrations against the junta, crossed over into India seeking refuge.
Magistrate Zuali had told AP that four policemen arrived in Champhai area on February 28, and local villagers handed them over to state authorities on March 1.
Police officer Lalnunzira said three other policemen crossed into Indian territory near Lungkawlh village on March 3 . The village is 13 km from the border with Myanmar. “The three policemen said they ran from the country because the Myanmar army was on their trail after they refused to obey some orders,” the police officer told AP.
Other reports said more Myanmar citizens have crossed into the state since then.
An unidentified police official in Mizoram told Reuters that in all, about 30 Myanmar police and their family members had crossed over into India in recent days. The official said people were slipping in despite intensive patrolling by soldiers.
“People are coming from different routes,” the official said, “The border is porous, you can’t prevent it.”
In Mizoram’s Serchhip district, senior official Kumar Abhishek said eight people, including a woman and a child, had crossed the border and were being taken care of. “We are anticipating that some more may come,” he told Reuters. “Authorities were making preparations to house between 30-40 people.”
Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Anurag Srivastava, however, told a press briefing on Friday that New Delhi was ascertaining the facts.
An unidentified Indian government official told Reuters that the police personnel crossing over from Myanmar said they did not wish to carry out orders from the military as “there are human rights violations and they were asked to shoot at civilians”.
The influx of Myanmar citizens puts India in a difficult position given New Delhi has close ties with the Myanmar military. Over the last two years the military has mounted operations at India’s request to flush out insurgents along the northeastern border. India, on its part, gifted Myanmar its first submarine last year.
“It’s a little difficult situation for India because diplomatic balance is crucial,” the government official told Reuters.
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