Myanmar urges India to send back cops who fled across border

Medical students display images of deposed Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi during a street march in Yangon on Sunday. Pic/AP/PTI

The Myanmar authorities have requested India to send back their eight police officers, who have crossed into Mizoram since last Wednesday to take refuge after last month's military coup and declaration of emergency in the neighbouring country, officials said on Saturday. In a letter to the Deputy Commissioner of Champai district in Mizoram, Maria C.T. Zuali, his counterpart in Falam district in Myanmar, Saw Htun Win, requested to detain the eight Myanmar police personnel and hand them over to the country.

"Eight police personnel from Myanmar have crossed the borders to India. In order to uphold friendly relations between the two neighbouring countries, you are kindly requested to hand them over to Myanmar," said the letter available with IANS. Zuali said that she has referred the matter to the higher authorities for appropriate action.

Mizoram's lone Lok Sabha member C. Lalrosanga said that 15 Myanmar police personnel came to Champhai district while eight policemen took shelter in Serchhip district. "The Mizoram government has issued a standard operating procedure (SOP) with regard to the people entering Mizoram from Myanmar in view of the military coup. Mizoram Chief Minister Zoramthanga has already asked the people living along the borders to follow the SOP issued by the state government," Lalrosanga told IANS over phone.

Serchhip district Deputy Commissioner Kumar Abhishek and his Champhai district counterpart told the media separately that the district authorities have been providing food and shelter to the people who came from across the border. Mizoram Home Department officials have said that the matter has been reported to the Union Home Ministry for necessary action.

Assam Rifles officials and the villagers of the border areas of Champhai, Serchhip and Hnahthial districts told the media that at least 35 to 50 people comprising unarmed police personnel and civilians from Myanmar have crossed over to the mountainous state since March 3. A one-year state of emergency was declared in Myanmar and state power was transferred to Sen-Gen Min Aung Hlaing after President U Win Myint and State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi were detained by the military on February 1.

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