Mizo student body brings Bru problems to Centre

Aizawl, Jan 24:  Following the kidnapping of three men from Mizoram by Bru militants, two of which have now been released, the Mizo Students’ Union sent a memorandum to Union Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde highlighting the security problems allegedly created by the Brus in Mizoram.    The four-point memorandum urged the Union Home Minister to take steps to deploy three more Border Security Force companies along the Mizoram-Bangladesh border.    The MSU also urged the Centre to detect Brus and Chakmas who illegally entered Mizoram from Bangladesh after January 26, 1950 and take steps to push them back.    Accusing the Bru refugees, now lodged in Tripura relief camps after they fled Mizoram due to ethnic violence in 1997, as illegal Bangladesh migrants to lift refugees status given to them. Instead, steps should be taken to push them back to Bangladesh, the MSU urged the Home  ministry.

The MSU gave an alternative option on the Bru refugees – that is to give them permanent citizenship of Tripura state, because they “refused” to return to Mizoram despite the government’s repeated attempts to repatriate them.    The MSU enclosed a list of incidents – murders, kidnapping, extortion and threats – carried out by the Bru  militants.

(UNI)