Manipur’s former chief minister, N. Biren Singh, urged on Sunday that the state’s police and security forces step up patrols along the border with Mizoram to stop more people from crossing over from Myanmar.
The two states share about 95 km of border in Churachandpur and Pherzawl districts, and each has long, unfenced frontiers with Myanmar – 398 km for Manipur and 510 km for Mizoram. These gaps make the area a hotspot for illegal crossings, smuggling and the movement of refugees.
Singh told reporters that most refugees in Mizoram left after Myanmar’s military coup in February 2021. “Manipur’s problem is different,” he said. “The influx from Myanmar has been going on for years. We must secure the Manipur‑Mizoram border to stop fresh arrivals.”
He added that state police, made up of Nagas, Meiteis and Kukis, should be placed along the border. Singh plans to request the governor, Ajay Kumar Bhalla, to deploy more forces soon. “I want everyone in Manipur to unite on the issue of illegal immigration and drugs,” he said.
The call comes as the Mizo Students’ Union has asked the Mizoram government to dismantle villages that appear to be built illegally by Myanmar immigrants. Around 31,300 Myanmar refugees live in camps and with relatives or in rented homes across all 11 Mizoram districts. If Mizoram removes those villages, Singh warns, the refugees could simply shift to Manipur, saying, “Who will stop them?”
Singh has long warned that people arriving from Myanmar are involved in poppy farming on forest land and large‑scale drug smuggling. He resigned as chief minister on February 9 but has stayed outspoken on the issue.
Source: ianslive
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