Myanmar coup: Mizoram CM urges Modi to give asylum to illegal immigrants

Zoramthanga, the chief minister of north eastern Indian state of Mizoram, has opposed the Indian government's order to stop illegal immigration from Myanmar and ensure speedy deportation of refugees.

He urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to provide them asylum on humanitarian grounds, reports our New Delhi correspondent.

Hundreds of refugees from Myanmar, with which Mizoram shares a 510km border, have crossed into the Indian state since the military coup in that country last month.

Zoramthanga, who also heads Mizoram's ruling Mizo National Front, wrote a letter to Modi on March 18 seeking his personal intervention for providing asylum to "political refugees" from Myanmar on humanitarian grounds, an official at the Chief Minister's Office said.

He said the Indian Home Ministry's March 10 advisory regarding this to Mizoram, Nagaland, Arunachal Pradesh and Manipur -- the states which share borders with Myanmar -- was not acceptable to his state.

Zoramthanga said since the people of his state share ethnic kinship with the refugees of the Chin community of Myanmar, they cannot remain indifferent to their plight.

"This (Indian Home Ministry advisory) is not acceptable to Mizoram. I understand that there are certain foreign policy issues where India needs to proceed cautiously. However, we cannot ignore this humanitarian crisis," Zoramthanga said in the letter.

Zoramthanga said a "human catastrophe of gigantic proportions" is happening in Myanmar and innocent citizens are being killed by the military which is supposed to protect them.

Every day, terrified Myanmarese people are struggling to cross over into Mizoram in search of shelter and protection, he said.

"Therefore, Mizoram cannot just remain indifferent to their sufferings. India cannot turn a blind eye to this humanitarian crisis unfolding right in front of us in our own backyard," the letter read.

Zoramthanga said India, as the world's largest democracy and Myanmar's immediate neighbour, must act in this matter.

Mizoram parliamentarian K Vanlalvena said that the number of Myanmarese refugees who have taken shelter in the state is more than 1,000.

However, an officer in the state Criminal Investigation Department (CID), however, citing official records said a total of 547 Myanmarese nationals have entered Mizoram since the coup on February 1.

He said the actual number may be higher as many Mizoram residents have given shelter to Myanmarese refugees without informing the authorities.

Myanmarese people fleeing the coup have taken shelter in eight districts and most of them are being handled by local NGOs, he said.