Mizoram’s apex student body, the Mizo Zirlai Pawl (MZP) has warned the Bru refugees not to refuse the repatriation process again. If they do so, the MZP would not accept any more repatriation process.
In the just concluded conference at Kawrtethawveng village in Western Mamit district of Mizoram the Kawrtethawveng unit of the student body resolved that the Mizoram government and the people of Mizoram have tried everything to repatriate the Bru refugees settling in four camps at North Tripura district.
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The students’ body alleged that the previous failed repatriation attempts were the result of some miscreants disseminating wrong information for their personal gains.
“We cannot accept the dirty politics played by some Bru leaders who sought political gains, the student body would closely monitor the repatriation process so that non bona fide citizens are not smuggled in,” president of Kawrtethawveng unit of MZP Sairengpuia Pautu said.
In 1997 some Bru miscreants killed a Mizo wildlife game watcher at Persang village in the Western Mamit district of Mizoram, fearing an ethnic backlash the Brus left Mizoram and settled in Tripura.
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Several batches of the refugees were repatriated in 2006 but the majority of them were hesitant to abide by the arrangements of Mizoram government and refused repatriation. The refugees welfare body demanded new group settlements for the refugees while the state administration charted the refugees be resettled at the same settlements prior to their exodus.
Eight attempts made by the Mizoram government to resettle the refugees failed due to the Bru’s demand for group settlements. Larger NGOs of the state felt that group resettlements of the refugees would harm the political geography of the state.
According to home department sources, this attempt to repatriate the Bru refugees was the eighth time and would be the last attempt. The chief minister of the state Lal Thanhlawla too said several attempts have been made to repatriate these refugees and warned them that this would be the last attempt to repatriate them.