Mizzima: Chin immigrants being evic

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               Chin immigrants being evicted from Mizoram

Mizzima News (www.mizzima.com)

New Delhi, Sept. 27: Thousands of Chin nationals who are living in
Lunglei District of Mizoram State are being asked to leave the place by
the powerful local Mizo body, according to some of them who fled from
Mizoram to New Delhi.

A 48-year old Pu Pan Tu who arrived New Delhi this morning told Mizzima
News that he had to leave his house in Lunglei District after local
branch of Young Mizo Association (YMA) issued an eviction notice that
all the "foreigners" who are staying illegally in the area have to leave
their houses. He had been staying in Lunglei District for more than ten
years.

In Lunglei district, five Quarters namely Ramthar Veng, Salem Veng,
Electric Veng, Chanmari Veng and Farm Veng house many of the Chin
nationals from Burma. Most of them survive on daily-wage odd jobs.
Lunglei District is one of the eight districts of Mizoram State, which
has about 400 km long international border with Burma.

On August 18 this year, Ramthar Veng Branch of the Young Mizo
Association made a wide spread circular announcing that all the
foreigners and non-Mizo living illegally in the locality have to leave
their houses by the end of August and action will be taken against even
those who receive them secretly. Mr. K. Lalhmingliana, secretary of the
Ramthar Veng Branch of the YMA, signed the circular.

Similar eviction announcements were made in other adjoining localities.
On September 8, Salem Branch of the Young Mizo Association made an
announcement to the effect that all the foreigners and non-Mizos in the
area have to leave their houses by September 15 and urged the house
owners not to rent any one of those "illegal foreigners". Mr. C.
Lalrimawia, secretary of the YMA Salem Branch, signed the announcement,
which appeared on a daily newspaper, Lunglei Times.

"Following the announcement, some YMA members came into our house and
broke our dishes and threatened us not to dare to live anymore",
recalled Pu Pan Tu who lived in Ramthar Veng with his family of five.
"The worst is that YMA even does not allow us to bury those who died in
the locality. We are forced to bury the body in far away villages. For
us, there is no place even to bury our body after we die".

Pu Pan Tu, along with two closed friends, fled to New Delhi to seek
support from their fellow countrymen, non-governmental organizations of
India and United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) Office
in New Delhi for the plight of Chins in Mizoram. He worked as a joint
secretary of National League for Democracy (NLD) in his San Baung
Quarter in Matupi township of Chin State until March 1990 when he fled
from the eminent arrest of the military authorities for his political
involvement.

According to local people, there are over 5,000 Chin nationals from
Burma living in Lunglei District alone and some NGOs estimates the total
number of Burma immigrants living in the entire state to be around fifty
thousands although the exact numbers are not available.

With the new drive against "foreigners" (Chins) in Lunglei District,
some families have already left their homes to the far away villages and
border areas in the past few days. Many of them rent new houses in
villages, pretending to be Mizo nationals.

These Burma nationals who are mostly from Chin State of Burma left their
native places due to deteriorating political and economic situation
under the military regime.

Mizoram government officials and YMA leaders said that the overwhelming
presence of the Chins in the state threatens the economic, political and
societal stability of Mizoram. And it had tried several times in the
past to deport these Chin immigrants to Burma but forced to stop
deportation after outcry from NGOs and human rights organizations in
India and abroad.

In an interview in July this year, Mizoram Chief Minister Mr.
Zoramthanga once again expressed his worry over the presence of a large
number of Chin nationals who are staying illegally in the state. He
wants the border with Burma to be fenced to check further infiltration
of immigrants into the State.

Moreover, Mizoram government claims that more than 75% of the crimes and
drug-related activities in the state are being committed by the people
from Burma.



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<center><font color="#3333FF"><font size=+2>Chin immigrants being evicted
from Mizoram</font></font></center>

<p><font color="#FF0000"><font size=+1>Mizzima News <a href="http://www.mizzima.com";>(www.mizzima.com)</a></font></font>
<p><i><font color="#CC0000">New Delhi, Sept. 27:</font></i><font size=+1>
Thousands of Chin nationals who are living in Lunglei District of Mizoram
State are being asked to leave the place by the powerful local Mizo body,
according to some of them who fled from Mizoram to New Delhi.</font>
<p><font size=+1>A 48-year old Pu Pan Tu who arrived New Delhi this morning
told Mizzima News that he had to leave his house in Lunglei District after
local branch of Young Mizo Association (YMA) issued an eviction notice
that all the "foreigners" who are staying illegally in the area have to
leave their houses. He had been staying in Lunglei District for more than
ten years.</font>
<p><font size=+1>In Lunglei district, five Quarters namely Ramthar Veng,
Salem Veng, Electric Veng, Chanmari Veng and Farm Veng house many of the
Chin nationals from Burma. Most of them survive on daily-wage odd jobs.
Lunglei District is one of the eight districts of Mizoram State, which
has about 400 km long international border with Burma.</font>
<p><font size=+1>On August 18 this year, Ramthar Veng Branch of the Young
Mizo Association made a wide spread circular announcing that all the foreigners
and non-Mizo living illegally in the locality have to leave their houses
by the end of August and action will be taken against even those who receive
them secretly. Mr. K. Lalhmingliana, secretary of the Ramthar Veng Branch
of the YMA, signed the circular.</font>
<p><font size=+1>Similar eviction announcements were made in other adjoining
localities. On September 8, Salem Branch of the Young Mizo Association
made an announcement to the effect that all the foreigners and non-Mizos
in the area have to leave their houses by September 15 and urged the house
owners not to rent any one of those "illegal foreigners". Mr. C. Lalrimawia,
secretary of the YMA Salem Branch, signed the announcement, which appeared
on a daily newspaper, Lunglei Times.</font>
<p><font size=+1>"Following the announcement, some YMA members came into
our house and broke our dishes and threatened us not to dare to live anymore",
recalled Pu Pan Tu who lived in Ramthar Veng with his family of five. "The
worst is that YMA even does not allow us to bury those who died in the
locality. We are forced to bury the body in far away villages. For us,
there is no place even to bury our body after we die".</font>
<p><font size=+1>Pu Pan Tu, along with two closed friends, fled to New
Delhi to seek support from their fellow countrymen, non-governmental organizations
of India and United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) Office
in New Delhi for the plight of Chins in Mizoram. He worked as a joint secretary
of National League for Democracy (NLD) in his San Baung Quarter in Matupi
township of Chin State until March 1990 when he fled from the eminent arrest
of the military authorities for his political involvement.</font>
<p><font size=+1>According to local people, there are over 5,000 Chin nationals
from Burma living in Lunglei District alone and some NGOs estimates the
total number of Burma immigrants living in the entire state to be around
fifty thousands although the exact numbers are not available.</font>
<p><font size=+1>With the new drive against "foreigners" (Chins) in Lunglei
District, some families have already left their homes to the far away villages
and border areas in the past few days. Many of them rent new houses in
villages, pretending to be Mizo nationals.</font>
<p><font size=+1>These Burma nationals who are mostly from Chin State of
Burma left their native places due to deteriorating political and economic
situation under the military regime.</font>
<p><font size=+1>Mizoram government officials and YMA leaders said that
the overwhelming presence of the Chins in the state threatens the economic,
political and societal stability of Mizoram. And it had tried several times
in the past to deport these Chin immigrants to Burma but forced to stop
deportation after outcry from NGOs and human rights organizations in India
and abroad.</font>
<p><font size=+1>In an interview in July this year, Mizoram Chief Minister
Mr. Zoramthanga once again expressed his worry over the presence of a large
number of Chin nationals who are staying illegally in the state. He wants
the border with Burma to be fenced to check further infiltration of immigrants
into the State.</font>
<p><font size=+1>Moreover, Mizoram government claims that more than 75%
of the crimes and drug-related activities in the state are being committed
by the people from Burma.</font>
<p>&nbsp;</html>

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