Aizawl: Civil societies in Mizoram’s Melthum and Lawngtlai towns issued directives on Saturday restricting the movement and participation of Myanmarese refugees in local trade, warning of eviction for non-compliance.
The restrictions came into place after a Myanmarese refugee allegedly assaulted a village council member in Venglai village on Friday. The individual was apprehended by locals and handed over to the police on ???.
Mizoram has been sheltering over 30,000 refugees from Myanmar, primarily ethnic Chins who share close cultural ties with the majority Mizos. However, local discontent has grown amid law and order concerns in certain localities.
“We have not received official information from the local council of Melthum village, but I believe the council is acting out of necessity,” officer-in-charge of the Kulikawn Police Station Lallawmpuii said, adding, “Local councils are elected bodies, so jurisdiction lies with them. If a law and order issue arises, we will take action.”
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Lalrammawia, secretary of the Melthum Local Council, emphasised the need for protocols to ensure community safety and peaceful coexistence. “As of late, we have been facing issues relating to Myanmarese refugees. Their number rises and falls in a matter of days, so we decided that we need to lay down protocols to restrict their movements,” he said.
“We will organize an identification drive among the refugees, and those who are not in possession of identification will be evicted by the end of April,” he added.
Meanwhile, in Lawngtlai, civil societies have imposed a curfew on refugees, barring them from being on the streets after 9pm. The decision has raised concerns among local authorities but is seen as a response to increasing tensions and strain on local resources.
“Civil societies have made their own diktats; we were not informed. But the situation could compel them to issue such orders. Nightlife in Lawngtlai town has become very unhealthy, and refugees are draining the local natural resources,” sub-divisional officer (Sadar) of Lawngtlai district Margareth J. Vanlalremruati said.
Raising concerns over illegal activities, Young Lai Association (YLA) of Lawngtlai secretary Rohmingliana Zathang said, “There has been a lot of movement along the India-Myanmar boundary, and illegal trading is going on. Traders from Rakhine state in Myanmar are taking advantage of the refugee crisis, so we need to take every precaution to maintain law and order and protect the integrity of Indian sovereignty.”
The YLA has also issued warnings to refugees in their area to strictly follow Indian laws and refrain from illegal trade, cautioning that violations will lead to legal consequences under Indian law.
In a related development, officials in Lawngtlai, alongside paramilitary forces, state police, and civil society leaders, visited the refugee camp at Bualpui NG village on Friday. The visit followed a major drug bust in the village, where authorities seized 56,000 methamphetamine tablets. Officials suspect drug trafficking networks are exploiting the refugee crisis to smuggle narcotics into Mizoram.