Aizawl
Mizoram Chief Minister Zoramthanga has called “not acceptable” the Centre’s order to prevent illegal immigration from Myanmar and ensure speedy deportation of refugees, and urged PM Modi to provide them asylum on humanitarian grounds, an official said on Saturday.
Hundreds of refugees, including many cops, have arrived in Mizoram since the military seized power in Myanmar last month.
Zoramthanga said since the people of his state share ethnic ties with the refugees of the Chin community of Myanmar, they cannot remain indifferent to their plight.
Zoramthanga, also the chief of the ruling MNF, wrote a letter to Modi on March 18 and sought his personal intervention for providing asylum to the political refugees on humanitarian grounds, an official at the Chief Minister’s Office said.
He said the Ministry of Home Affairs’ (MHA) March 10 advisory to Mizoram, Nagaland, Arunachal and Manipur was unacceptable to his state. Though the MNF is a part of the BJP-led North East Democratic Alliance, it does not have an alliance with the saffron party in the state. “This (MHA advisory) is not acceptable to Mizoram. I understand there are certain foreign policy issues where India needs to proceed cautiously. However, we cannot ignore this humanitarian crisis,” Zoramthanga said in the letter.