In a sudden move the Mizoram police in northeast India have pushed back 82 Burmese nationals to the Indo-Myanmar border on 30 August. They were arrested on August 28.

The police had arrested the Burmese from Ramthar, Ramhlun south, Zuangtui and Sihpui blocks in Aizawl city on August 28. The central court of Mizoram ordered that they be pushed back on the basis of the Foreigners Act, 1946, Section 14.

Meanwhile, the Mizoram government is monitoring the activities of the Burmese people in the state. Some members of the Free Burma Rangers were also arrested, said The Zozam Times.

“After Senior General Than Shwe, the Burmese junta supremo’s visit to India on a five-day tour, Indian authorities started applying pressure on the Mizoram government to watch organizations working for the Burmese and other NGOs in Mizoram. The Central Intelligence Department (CID) is closely watching them,” said a politician.

The Ministry of Home Affairs (Foreigners’ Division) also issued an order, which has cut off restricted areas to 16 kilometers from the border for Burmese people. Earlier, it allowed a distance of 40 kilometers from the Myanmar border.

The largest democracy in the world, India had supported the democratic movement in Burma before 1990, but later it gave preference to its ‘Look East Policy’ and inched closer to the generals of the Burmese junta. Now they have an understanding with the regime and are cooperating in business, trade, education and undertaking joint military operations to flush out Indian insurgents holed up in Burma.