Avoid Ethnic Conflict, India Returns Myanmar Citizens

A man pushes a cart through the People's Square in Yangon, Myanmar, February 4, 2021. (Xinhua/Zhang Dongqiang)

New DELHI - India will continue to repatriate Myanmar citizens fleeing to its territory to avoid ethnic conflict in Myanmar, officials said on Saturday, March 9.

On Friday, the first wave of Myanmar citizens entering India was "illegally" deported, Manipur State chief minister Biren Singh said.

"The number is a lot, so we can't send (they) all back at once. So, little by little, we do deportation and there are some legal procedures that we need to take... we follow (the procedure)," Singh told reporters quoted by ANTARA, Sunday, March 10.

He added that the deportation of Myanmar citizens will continue.

Hundreds of people, including security officers, from Myanmar, who are caught in ethnic conflicts in the country, have fled to India and Bangladesh.

A total of 6,746 Myanmar citizens who have crossed the "illegally" border have been detected in the Indian state from May 3, 2023 to February 7 this year, officials said.

Amid the ethnic conflict that raged in Myanmar, India decided to end the free movement agreement with the country in Southeast Asia.

Myanmar has been controlled by the military junta since February 2021. The Tatmadaw - Myanmar's military - has faced fierce resistance from ethnic groups in many regions of the country.

At least three armed ethnic groups, united in the Brotherhood Alliance, have fought the junta regime to seize northern Myanmar since late October.

They attacked junta forces and seized many cities and border posts. Many people were reported killed in the attacks.