Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday expressed concerns over the impact of activities of Myanmar’s armed groups along India’s border areas, and discussed the refugee issue with Myanmar’s President, U Min Aung Hlaing, during high-level bilateral talks between the two leaders, the Ministry of External Affairs said.
Addressing a special briefing on the Myanmar President’s visit, Foreign Minister Vikram Misri said the Prime Minister specifically addressed concerns about spillover of Myanmar’s internal conflict across the border, noting that such actions, coupled with corresponding military operations by the Myanmar Army near the border, have significant implications for people living on the Indian side.
Al-Masri said: “The Prime Minister raised this issue today in the conversation and stressed this point: that these groups, their activities are continuing around our borders. In response, the Myanmar army’s actions against them are also occurring near the border.”
“And it has a huge impact on people who live on this side, the Indian side of the border. So sometimes, there can be some damage there, or as I also said, many refugees come to our side across that border,” he added.
Al-Masri added that Prime Minister Modi urged Myanmar authorities to ensure that operations near the border do not harm civilians living on the Indian side.
“The Prime Minister said that the Myanmar Army and the authorities there in Myanmar should take care of this matter and this action should be done in a way that there is no loss, especially to the people living on the Indian side,” he added.
Regarding the refugee situation, Masri acknowledged the influx into Mizoram due to active hostilities in the Southeast Asian country.
“We all know that refugees have been coming to Mizoram for some time for this reason,” he said.
Al-Masry said: “With regard to the issue of refugees, it is a bit more complicated. There is a system for returning refugees, and there is a mechanism for that. The authorities in both countries are in contact with each other about how to return them.”
Regarding the return of refugees, Al-Masry said the matter is “a little more complicated,” but added that both countries have mechanisms for repatriation.
Addressing concerns about Mizoram’s demographics, Masri said: “The Myanmar government also believes that these people did not come as permanent refugees. Once normalcy returns on the other side of the border, these people will return to their side.”
The crucial matter came during high-level bilateral talks between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and visiting Myanmar President U Min Aung Hlaing at Hyderabad House in the national capital, earlier today.
The Myanmar President is currently on a four-day visit to India from May 30 to June 2.
