The violence perpetrated by the military junta in Myanmar has sent the Chin people along the Mizoram-Myanmar border scurrying to seek shelter in the Indian side of the border. The problem with boundaries is that they separate kith and kin and turn them into citizens of two sovereign countries. The Chief Minister of Mizoram had written to Prime Minister Modi asking him to offer asylum to refugees pouring in from Myanmar. But Mizoram along with Manipur received instead a missive from New Delhi saying that refugees should be given neither shelter not food. The missive was later toned down after huge protests by human rights activists in the country. India is in a difficult situation vis-à-vis Myanmar. That country has been offering military help to flush out the North East militant outfits holed up in Myanmar and sometimes the two armies conduct joint operations to achieve their goals. At the moment the cadres of the ULFA (Independent) headed by Paresh Baruah and the NSCN(K) are being hounded by the Tatmadaw. Paresh Baruah meanwhile shuttles between Dehong and Ruili in the Yunnan Province of China adjoining Myanmar. Since the Myanmar army offensive several ULFA cadres have been pushed to surrender or be killed by the Tatmadaw. The NSCN (K) too has suffered similar offensive from the junta although intelligence sources believe this offensive was at the behest of the Government of India which has been talking peace with the NSCN(IM) since 1997. In fact, eight training camps of ULFA(I) the NDFB(S)and Meitei outfits from Manipur which were located in Taga region of Maynmar have been demolished.
In these circumstances it becomes a diplomatic challenge for India to take a hardened stance against the Tatmadaw that is now hell bent on capturing political power at all costs. The problem with Mizoram and Manipur is that the same people live on two sides of the border. All along, Myanmar and India shared a Free Movement Regime (FMR) where people from both sides of the largely riverine border can move up to 16 kilometres into each other’s territories. On the Manipur side those living in the hills of Ukhrul regularly host their kin and help them buy food supplies and other articles not easily available in the Kachin Hills, from the Indian side which they carry across to the other side regularly. The same is the case with the Mizoram side of the border. The FMR was suspended in March 2020 on account of the pandemic. Hence border patrolling has been tightened making it near impossible for the Myanmarese refugees to take shelter Mizoram or Manipur. That the closure of the border has resulted in increased smuggling of drugs and arms is another matter that the Assam Rifles which guards the borders has to contend with. But this cannot be conflated with the serious violations of human rights by the Tatmadaw thereby forcing many to flee their country. India’s stoic silence at this juncture is troubling.