IMPHAL: A former police barrack in Singhat sub-division of Manipur’s Churachandpur district bordering Myanmar on the south started its repurposed for Myanmar nationals on Saturday.
This was stated by Letpao Haokip, chairman of the Manipur government cabinet sub-committee formed for handling the refugees from Myanmar taking shelter in Manipur.
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The cabinet sub-committee comprising T Letpao Haokip, Manipur Minister for Tribal Affairs as its chairman, Law Minister Thounaojam Basantakumar and Water Resources Minister Awangbow Newmain, as the members visited and inspected the abandoned barracks and instructed the high officials concerned of the district for usual the barracks as the detention centres.
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A good number of Myanmar nationals whose number could not be ascertained due to increasing day in and day out are being accommodated at unused barracks as detention centres.
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On Saturday, at the directive of the Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh, the trio of cabinet ministers visited Singjat and Churachandpur to ascertain the exact number of Myanmarese who fled their homestead because of aerial bombing by the government jets and helicopters on the rebel camps causing injuries to the civilians in the past few weeks.
Since then Myanmar nationals started seeking shelter in Manipur, India in the wake of prevailing unrest there.
The sub-committee was formed to survey the construction of temporary shelters to accommodate the Myanmarese refugees.
Speaking on the sidelines, L Haokip, informed that four abandoned barracks under the Singhat police station would be converted into detention centres.
Also read: Over 150 Myanmar refugees taking shelter in Manipur after war-like situation in Saingang
Its barrack types quarters accommodate around 50 people.
He also further informed the District Commissioner and other officials concerned to spread out the message of the plight of the Myanmar nationals fleeing their homestead from the strife-torn country and taking shelter in Manipur where the government has been giving food and shelter on humanitarian grounds.
They would be returning to their country after the restoration of peace in Myanmar, the minister stated.
Thounaojam Basanta also directed the district administrators to identify the refugees, and their’s numbers and give them shelter at the detention centres.
It may be mentioned that the cabinet sub-committee had already visited the districts of Tengnoupal and Chandel for the construction of detention centres there.
Manipur shares a 397 km long border with Myanmar which covers six districts of which are Chandel, Tengnoupal and Churachandpur whereas detention centres are being constructed for giving shelter to the influx of Myanmar nationals.