Imphal: Assam Rifles has issued a strong denial in response to allegations by Naga civil bodies and organizations regarding the presence of illegal immigrants in Manipur.
Earlier, several Naga groups, including the United Naga Council (UNC), Naga Women’s Union (NWU), All Naga Students Association Manipur (ANSAM), and Naga People’s Movement for Human Rights (NPM-HR), submitted a memorandum to union home minister Amit Shah.
They requested the repatriation of alleged illegal migrants and fugitives from Myanmar and called for the withdrawal of Assam Rifles from areas along the Indo-Myanmar border near Kamjong in Manipur.
In a letter addressing these allegations, Assam Rifles clarified, “In the area extending from Border Pillar 82 to 89, some refugees have indeed taken shelter due to the warlike situation in Myanmar. However, they are repatriated as soon as the security situation improves across the Indo-Myanmar Border (IMB). The accommodation for these refugees consists of self-help, bare essential thatched huts with polythene covers.”
Assam Rifles stated that the administration in Manipur is fully informed about the presence of refugees and has collected their biometric data.
“There is proper coordination in terms of security between the Security Forces and the State Administration. Security Forces maintain a vigilant presence and are actively managing the border area to prevent any unlawful activities,” the letter added.