Illegal Myanmar immigrants found settling in Indo-Myanmar border district of Manipur

Imphal: Illegal Immigrants have been found settling in Tengnoupal district of Manipur without any information to the government.

Tengnoupal is a district in Manipur bordering Myanmar.

The illegal immigrants Myanmar have been found constructing houses between Border Pillar 82 and Border Pillar 89 in Tengnoupal without notifying the state government.

Only the Assam Rifles were aware of this activity, a source said on Sunday.

Following a tip-off about the movement of illegal immigrants from Myanmar into the Indian side of Tengnoupal, a team of volunteers of a Manipur community inspected the border area, which had been largely inaccessible due to the ongoing crisis and military coup in Myanmar.

During their inspections at locations stretching from Border Pillar 82 near N. Satang village to Border Pillar 89, the volunteers observed a substantial number of illegal immigrants residing and moving freely along the border. Numerous houses had been reportedly constructed in the area.

‘Despite attempts by the team to persuade the immigrants to leave, their efforts were ignored’.

The Indo-Myanmar border was sealed by the Assam Rifles, who were aware of the situation. There has been no record or information provided to the state government about the influx, the source said.

The houses were constructed by illegal immigrants after cutting down trees in the Reserved Forest area, it added.

The volunteers urge the state government to raise the issue to the central government as soon as possible, to prevent tensions from escalating in the area and causing the indigenous people to suffer, as is happening in the valley districts of Manipur.