Refugees from the ongoing conflict in Myanmar, who have sought shelter in Siaha town located in the southern state of Mizoram India, have reported that their biographical information is currently being collected in cooperation with local authorities and civil organizations.

Last week, Mara Thyutlia Py (MTP), a local organization in Siaha, made an announcement in the surrounding neighborhoods stating their intention to collect data from the Myanmar refugees seeking shelter in the town. Subsequently, a refugee confirmed that the data collection process has already commenced.

"MTP used loudspeakers to inform the neighborhoods about the upcoming collection of biographical data from Myanmar war refugees. We have recently learned that the data collection process has been finalized in one neighborhood. They have emphasized that if the Myanmar refugees fail to provide the necessary information in advance, they will not assume responsibility for any future issues”, he said.

Myanmar refugees seeking shelter in Siaha are required to visit the MTP office and provide comprehensive personal information, including their name, photograph, address, as well as undergo fingerprinting and iris recognition scans.

There are growing concerns among the war-displaced refugees regarding the requirement to provide specific personal information. "Not only are they recording our names and addresses, but they are also conducting fingerprint and iris scans, which has left us wondering about their intentions. Many of us war refugees are feeling confused and worried about this procedure. There is also a fear that if we do not comply with their instructions now, we may encounter problems in the future”, a refugee told Khonumthung News.

The collection of information on war refugees that has been ordered by the Indian government in New Delhi has raised concerns due to the close relationship between the Indian government and the coup Military Council.

However In response to anxieties and fears from refugees about the purpose of ongoing data collection process, Pakhaw Choza, the president of MTP, stated that “ we are carrying out the collection as per the instructions provided by the Ministry of Home Affairs of the Indian government. He further mentioned that he was not aware of the precise purpose behind the data collection.”

"The Ministry of Home Affairs has generally informed us that the collection of biographical data is intended for biometric mapping purposes. It is not our initiative, but we are strictly following the direct instructions from the central government. It appears that the government aims to accurately determine the number of Myanmar refugees residing in the town. Therefore, in my personal opinion, war-displaced individuals need not be concerned about the data collection process”, he replied.

The data collection of Myanmar war refugees is scheduled to take place throughout the entire Mizoram State. However, as of now, the process has not yet commenced in other townships.