Guwahati: Over 5,000 refugees from Myanmar, who had taken shelter in Manipur’s Kamjong district amid escalating violence in their country, have reportedly returned home, according to report.
The June 28 report, citing “well-placed sources,” stated that “approximately 5,000 refugees have returned to Myanmar.” The refugees, mostly from Myanmar’s Chin State, had crossed into India fearing aerial bombardments and military offensives by the Myanmarese junta targeting pro-democracy groups.
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The report further claimed that the Indian government had stopped issuing sanctions for new refugee entries, with sources suggesting that the situation in Myanmar had “improved,” prompting the return of many.
However, India’s decision to push back refugees during an ongoing civil war has drawn criticism from international human rights organisations.
In May 2024, the International Commission of Jurists (ICJ) condemned the forced return of 77 Myanmar nationals, calling it a violation of the international principle of non-refoulement, which prohibits sending refugees back to a place where they may face danger. The ICJ urged India to halt any further forced repatriations.
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In June 2024, around 5,400 Myanmar nationals were reported to have taken refuge in Kamjong, a Tangkhul Naga-dominated border district. Assam Rifles Director General Pradeep Chandran Nair had confirmed that the refugees fled fearing aerial attacks by the military junta, which has been targeting civilian areas in its efforts to suppress armed resistance.
Earlier, in December 2023, another wave of approximately 2,000 refugees had crossed over into Kamjong amid military crackdowns near the India-Myanmar border.
Currently, authorities estimate that around 7,000 Myanmar nationals remain sheltered in various Naga villages in Kamjong district. The Manipur government, under directions from the Ministry of Home Affairs, has collected biometric data of about 6,000 refugees—excluding children under the age of five—and issued identity cards to distinguish them from the local population.
Villages such as Namli, Wangli, K Ashang Khullen, Choro, Pilong, Phaikok, Huimin Thana, and Shangkalok are among the locations where refugees have been accommodated in makeshift camps. According to the Sangai Express, many of these refugees cross back into Myanmar during the day for agricultural work and return to Kamjong in the evening for safety.
The Kamjong district administration, with support from the Assam Rifles and other agencies, continues to identify refugees without identity cards and provide them with humanitarian aid including food, utensils, buckets, tarpaulins, and tin sheets for shelter.
The refugee influx remains a sensitive issue in Manipur’s ongoing ethnic conflict between the Meitei and Kuki communities. The Kukis share ethnic ties with Myanmar’s Chin population, further complicating the political and social dynamics in the state since the violence erupted in May 2023.