8 Myanmar nationals with bullet injuries in Manipur hospital spark allegations of illegal influx

The allegations of illegal immigration to Manipur from Myanmar, often levelled against Kuki community, once again gained ground in the state with the admission of eight injured Myanmarese nationals at Churachandpur District Hospital. The eight individuals reportedly received treatment for bullet and explosive injuries. 

There is no clarity on where and when they sustained the injuries. Social media handles supporting the Meitei community are abuzz with claims that they got injured while participating in the ethnic clashes that have been going on in the state since May 3 between Meiteis and Kukis. Meiteis often assert that the Kuki population in the state has been growing at an unusually high rate because of illegal immigration from Myanmar. 

Kukis have often been labelled as “immigrants” or “foreigners”, suggesting they had migrated from Myanmar and are not native to the Manipur Hills, which is strongly disputed by them. The anti-Kuki sentiment further intensified when many Myanmar refugees belonging to Kuki-Chin-Zomi-Mizo community, sharing ethnic origin with several tribes living in the hills of Manipur, Mizoram and Nagaland, fled to these states following counterinsurgency operations by the junta in the neighbouring country since 2021.

Chief Minister N. Biren Singh has publicly said that Myanmar immigrants are serious threat to Manipur and are even responsible for deforestation, poppy cultivation and drug menace in the state. He even formed a cabinet sub-committee to detect illegal immigrants. Interestingly, the committee is headed by Tribal Affairs and Hill Development Minister Letpao Haokip, a Kuki minister himself. 

However, the government has not yet made any statement on these eight injured in Churachandpur District Hospital. Some sources told India Today NE that these eight Myanmarese nationals admitted to the hospital were revolutionaries, who had been attacked by the Myanmar Junta and brought to India and provided treatment in Manipur on humanitarian grounds.  “They are in Manipur’s Churachandpur  for medical care. Earlier they used to go to Imphal also but as the capital city is blocked, they have been bound by the situation to get the treatment in Churachandpur,” said the source adding that they had no role to play in Manipur violence. 

“These eight individuals are members of the People’s Defence Force (PDF) and got injured during the intervening night of June 27 and 28, when an armed fight broke out between PDF and Tatmadaw, which is basically the Myanmar Junta. During that incident, several civilians died and casualties were reported on both side. These eight PDF members were brought to Churachandpur through Chandel district,” another source told India Today NE. 

India TodayNE tried to speak with Kartik Maladi, SP of Churachandpur, but his phone was switched off. 

Earlier, during his two-day visit to Myanmar between June 30 and July 1, defence secretary Giridhar Aramane raised the issues of peace in border areas, illegal trans-border movements and transnational crimes such as drug trafficking and smuggling with his counterparts in the neighbouring country. Both sides reaffirmed their commitment to ensure that their respective territories would not be allowed to be used for any activities inimical to each other. 

Aramane held meetings with Senior General Min Aung Hlaing in Nay Pyi Taw, Chairman, State Administrative Council, Gen (Retd) Mya Tun Oo, Defence Minister of Myanmar, Admiral Moe Aung, Commander-in-Chief, Myanmar Navy and Lt Gen Khan Myint Than, Chief of Defence Industries, Myanmar. India shares an approximately 1,700- km long border with Myanmar.