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From MIZZIMA News Group (r)



Uneasy Burmese in Mizoram State of India

By: MIZZIMA News Group
June 2, 1999

Due to deteriorating economic and political situation in Burma, a large
number of Burmese crossed the Indo-Burma border for better job
opportunities in India's North Eastern States. Mizoram, a tiny
land-locked state, is one of them and it has been increasingly receiving
Burmese in the past decade.

"Before 1988, there were about 50 Burmese handloom weavers in Aizawl.
But after the 1988 military coup, many Burmese came to Mizoram for
jobs", said U Pho Ni, a Burmese handloom weaver in Aizawl. He and his
family came from Amarapura, which is known as the center of traditional
handloom industry in Burma. They have been working in a handloom house
owned by a Mizo since 1984.

There are estimated 5,000 Burmese working as handloom weavers, taxi
drivers and maids in Aizawl, the capital of Mizoram State. Most of
Burmese handloom weavers in Mizoram are from Amarapura of Sagaing
Division of Burma. But many also came from other cities of Upper Burma
such as Shwe Bo, Mon Ywa, Kalay, Gangor, Pakhutku, Meitthila and Tarhan
townships.

"Most of these Burmese came to Mizoram due to economic reasons. While a
handloom weaver's daily wage in Burma cannot satisfy his or her stomach,
a Burmese weaver in Mizoram can look after himself well", said U Pho Ni.

A Burmese handloom weaver in Mizoram gets average 100 Rs. per day
whereas in Burma it is difficult for a handloom weaver to get even half
of this amount for a day.

However, he said the business is not good nowadays. As there are many
Burmese weavers waiting for jobs, local Mizo owners pay less than what
they used to.

On the other hand, as Burmese population number has been increasing in
recent years, local Mizos and authorities are concerned that it might
disturb the social and economic stability of Mizoram in next few years.
They also accused the Burmese of often committing crimes and drug
smuggling in Mizoram.

Mr. Lalbiakmawi Ngente, General Secretary of the Yong Mizo Association
(YMA) said that 60 % of the taxi drivers in Aizawl are from Burma and
80% of weavers in Mizoram are from Burma. YMA, founded in 1935, is the
largest and powerful social organization in Mizoram State. It has
branches in almost every locality of the Mizoram State.

"We know the situation in Myanmar and generally we are sympathetic with
them and the conditions from which they came. But there are also
anti-social elements mixed with them. These anti-socials commit crimes
here in Mizoram", said Mr. Ngente.

According to Mr. Ngente, at least 60% of crimes in Mizoram are committed
by the people who come from Burma. "We (Burmese and Mizos) are friendly
each other and Burmese handloom weavers are peaceful people. In fact
they are helping our economy. But we have to distinguish between
criminals and ordinary peaceful people. We need to contain the
anti-social elements. The best way is the Burmese themselves to evolve
some ways to contain these elements", said Mr. Ngente.

In a seminar called "Mizoram Towards Peace and Stability", organized
jointly by Indian Council for Gandhian Studies and YMA in Delhi on June
1, 1999, the YMA demanded the State Government to check the large-scale
"infiltration" from Burma and Bangladesh.

Due to the pressure from YMA and some nationalist political parties,
Mizoram police occasionally arrest the Burmese and send back to the
border. About 500 Burmese were sent back to the border in 1986 and
almost the same numbers were deported back to the border in 1994.

Last month, according to local sources, three truckloads of Burmese were
sent back to the border point on Champhai-Rhi sector. But they came back
to Aizawl after some days.

Mizoram is the only state among seven North Eastern States of India,
which does not have local insurgency. It formally became a part of India
after Indian Government and armed rebellion of Mizo National Front (MNF)
led by Mr. Laldenga singed a peace agreement in 1986. Currently, Mizoram
is under the rule of MNF-led government after it won a victory over the
Mizoram Congress Party in recent elections.

Moreover, some Indian NGOs estimate that there are between 40,000-50,000
Chin nationals from Burma living in Mizoram State. Many of them have
already settled in Mizoram State and become Indian citizens as Chin and
Mizo speak more or less the same language and they come from the same
ethnic group.

"I think many of them have been enrolled in the electoral roles. The
general feeling is that unless they are not the citizens of India, they
should not be enrolled as voters. Those people who have already enrolled
cannot be deleted from the list. Probably they will remain as voters.
But new ones should not be enrolled", said Mr. Lalbiakmawia Ngente.

(Indian Rupees 42.5 is equivalent to US $ 1)


By: MIZZIMA News Group
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