Imphal, April 19:
Reacting to the news report published in some newspapers of India including Manipur (Kangleipak) that the Myanmar military has been using North East rebel groups to attack fleeing the neighbouring country, the CorCom has dismissed the same report as false and a cheap propaganda.
It is not the first time that the Government of India circulated false reports and fake news through their agencies to project the revolutionary groups of Manipur and WESEA in bad light, said a press release issued by the CorCom Publicity Committee.
As for the Indo-Asian News Service (IANS) which took a big role in circulating the cheap propaganda, the CorCom remarked, “IANS has a history of spreading fake news on its platform and several instances of fake news have been documented by AltNews” .
The people of Manipur not only voiced objection against the Government of India’s notification to prevent entry of Myanmar refugees into the State but also tried their best to give shelter to the fleeing Myanmar Nationals.
On the other hand, there were numerous instances of Assam Rifles preventing and turning back Myanmar citizens from entering Manipur, it said.
Subsequent upon an order issued by the State Government at the instruction of the Government of India which directed its district administrations and CSOs not to provide shelter to Myanmar refugees, the United Nations, without naming India, urged all the neighbouring countries of Myanmar not to send back Myanmar refugees but protect them.
UNHCR’s Assistant Commissioner for Protection Gillian Triggs, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights South East Asia Regional Representative Cynthia Velico and other UN offices issued separate statements which said that people fleeing from repression in their own country should be given asylum and they should not be sent back to the places where they face threats to their lives.
As international refugee and human rights laws are applicable to all the countries, all asylum seekers are entitled to protection as per the international law and the UN offices have made it clear that the refugees from Myanmar should not be sent back until the crisis in the neighbouring country is settled, according to the statement issued by CorCom.
However, the Government of India has been violating the international refugee convention and other UN decrees.
Assam Rifles and other security forces have been forcing back Myanmar refugees from entering India, it alleged.
The claim that Myanmar military has been using North East rebel groups to attack and prevent Myanmar refugees from entering North East India is a deceitful or sabotage propaganda aimed at projecting the revolutionary groups of Manipur in wrong light to the people of Myanmar while covering their own misdeeds, the CorCom contended.
The crisis seen today in Myanmar is an internal crisis of a sovereign country and there is no reason for the people and revolutionary groups of Manipur to interfere into the crisis.
The revolutionary groups of Manipur would never interfere in the internal crisis of Myanmar and there is a no reason for the revolutionary groups to guard the Myanmar- Manipur (Kangleipak) border, it said.
The people of Myanmar as well as their security forces know well that the revolutionary groups of Manipur always respect them and the revolutionary groups never do anything to undermine the sovereignty and National integrity of Myanmar.
Moreover, the revolutionary groups of Manipur are not mercenaries who can be hired on payment or by offering some material benefits.
The people of Myanmar know very well that the revolutionary groups of Manipur never deviate from their principles, it said.
Asserting that Assam Rifles troops killed many innocent people in Manipur in fake encounters, the CorCom warned that AR troops may kill Myanmar people by masquerading themselves as revolutionary cadres.
It then cautioned all the peoples of Myanmar, Manipur and the international community to be always vigilant against the false propaganda of Assam Rifles.
