GUWAHATI
An influential social organisation in Mizoram has flagged the possession of Indian documents by Myanmar nationals who fled a civil war in their country.
Mizoram is currently hosting 34,000 people from Myanmar and about 700 from Bangladesh. The “refugees” belong to the Chin community, ethnically related to the Mizo people.
A drive by a local unit of the Young Mizo Association (YMA) in Kolasib district a few days ago revealed five of the 110 Myanmar nationals were in possession of documents to pass off as Indians.
Kolasib borders Assam, away from the swathes of Mizoram bordering Bangladesh and Myanmar.
While three of these Myanmar nationals possessed Aadhaar cards, one had a permanent account number card while another had an account in a nationalised bank.
The Myanmar nationals told the representatives of the YMA that they paid ₹8,000 to get an Aadhaar card from an agent in the State’s capital Aizawl, the organisation said in a submission to Kolasib’s Deputy Commissioner, John L.T. Sanga.
“Illegitimate possession of Indian documents by foreigners is a serious offence. The matter would be probed and necessary measures taken,” Mr. Sanga told journalists.
This is not the first such case of Myanmar nationals getting hold of Indian documents, often forged. In April, Benjamin Sum, a popular singer from Myanmar’s Chin state, surrendered his fake Indian documents following protests by the locals.
The Assam Rifles had earlier said some Myanmar and Bangladesh nationals were found to have obtained Indian documents and identity cards before entering Mizoram.
Streams of people from Myanmar have been taking refuge in Mizoram since the military coup in the neighbouring country in February 2021. A smaller number crossed over from Bangladesh in November 2022 following clashes between the Bangladesh armed forces and the Kuki-Chin National Army, an ethnic separatist group.
Mizoram shares a 510 km and 318 km boundary with Myanmar and Bangladesh respectively.
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