Myanmar citizens flee to India to escape violence

Myanmar citizens have been fleeing the country to India as a result of attacks against civilians following a military coup that has taken the lives of many.

According to BBC Hindi's Raghvendra Rao, many people living along the border are seeking refuge in India.

Makhai, whose name has been changed to protect her identity, eventually made it to India after her third attempt. Unlike the previous two attempts, Indian security forces did not intervene this time, reports BBC. 

To cross, the 42-year-old took a gravel road through the woods. Others also crossed the border through an underground storm drain that links villages on both sides.

Makhai and her sisters and daughter fled their home in Myanmar's border district of Tamu earlier this month. They entered Manipur, a state in north-eastern India. Makhai explained that it was the only way they could save themselves.

She said, "I had a chance to flee now," adding, "dad I waited any longer, another opportunity would not have presented itself."

Soldiers have allegedly broken into homes, raped, and killed people, according to Makhai.

Myanmar, also known as Burma, is in a volatile state. The military deposed the country's newly elected government in February and arrested leader Aung San Suu Kyi. It has suppressed anti-coup demonstrations in the weeks since.

According to human rights organizations, the military has killed over 600 people, including 43 children. 

People have been killed in the streets and even in their homes, according to witnesses, including a six-year-old girl who was allegedly shot dead during a home raid as she fled to her father.

In a recent interview, army spokesman Brig Gen Zaw Min Tun said that the army would never shoot a child inside their house, and that if this happened, the incident would be investigated.

However, allegations of security forces massacres are common and have caused an international outcry.

"Ever since the violence began, we are scared to live in our homes," Makhai said. "We have spent so many nights hiding in the forest."

The government of Manipur recently ordered officials in border districts to "politely drive away" Myanmar refugees, only to revoke the order after public outcry. The state government said in a second order that it was taking "all humanitarian measures," including treating wounded Myanmar refugees.

Unauthorized immigration, on the other hand, is a politically charged problem in India, especially now that regional elections are taking place in West Bengal and Assam, two states that have seen a large influx of refugees in the past.

Two other women who crossed into India along with Makhai told the BBC they would consider going back home only if the situation improved. Their husbands and other men from the family are still in Myanmar.

"The men can fight if needed. For us women, it's difficult to escape if the military suddenly comes knocking," said Winyi, whose name has also been changed. She fled from Tamu with her teenaged daughter.

Until they feel safe to return home, they are relying on their neighbours in Manipur's Moreh district. Located along India's border with Myanmar, Moreh finds itself in the thick of action as all official routes between the two countries are sealed.

For years, India and Myanmar have had a Free Movement Regime in place which allowed local people on each side to travel up to 16km (10 miles) on the other side and remain there for a maximum of 14 days. The arrangement was suspended in March 2020 to stem the spread of the coronavirus. People on both sides hoped that the border would reopen this year, but February's coup dashed their hopes.

That hasn't prevented many Myanmar nationals from risking an unauthorised journey across what is still a porous border.

"It's difficult to come to India. Often, Indian security forces stop us but we manage to sneak in," said a trader who comes to Moreh every day to supply milk to some 20 households. "Everything is closed back home - there is firing and exploding bombs."

The anti-coup protests in Myanmar have led to large numbers of the armed forces being moved to other areas, leaving the border less protected. Indian troops are not heavily deployed along this border, much to the relief of those who make the daily journey.

After selling their wares, these Myanmar nationals rush back to their side of the border using dirt tracks and bushes. Some believe security forces on both sides turn a blind eye to this movement.

Around 100km (62 miles) from Moreh, in Manipur's capital, Imphal, two young Myanmar nationals were recovering in a government hospital from bullet injuries they said they sustained when protesters and armed forces clashed on the night of 25 March.

"Myanmar soldiers were trying to loot a jewellery story in Tamu. When local residents objected and protested, they opened fire. I got shot," said one of the injured men.

"Even earlier, the police used to come to deal with protests, but this sort of violence is unprecedented," said the other. "The situation started deteriorating when the military started firing on people."

The men were taken to hospital from Tamu to Moreh on the night of the clash. But unlike the women who fled their homes in Myanmar, the men want to return to their families as soon as possible.

Members of the local Kuki Students' Organisation have been taking turns to tend to the two men and bring them home-cooked food. "Since the health centre in Moreh was not equipped to deal with their injuries, they were brought to Imphal," said Janggoulen Khongsai, vice-president of the organisation.

The Kukis are a hill tribe living in the border regions of India, Bangladesh and Myanmar, enabling close cross-border relations among people who live across the region. This explains why the people of Moreh are sympathetic to the refugees despite officials orders to the contrary.

"We will host them on humanitarian grounds," said Philip Khongsai of the Moreh Youth Club, whose members have been providing food and water to people who got stuck on the border before being eventually turned back. "Let the government do its job, we will do ours."

The influx of refugees from Myanmar is expected to grow. And many in Moreh feel that India needs to stand up and do more to help people on the other side in this difficult time.

As for those fleeing Myanmar, each day brings with it the fear that they may be sent back.