ACHR team to visit conflict ridden areas of Mizoram

The Asian Centre for Human Rights (ACHR) has decided to send a fact finding team to the communal valance affected areas of Mizoram and also meet all sections of people including those involved in relief and rehabilitation activities. The New Delhi based rights body has stated in a statement that it has accepted the offer of the Mizoram home minister Pu R. Lalzirliana to visit the State in a convenient time (preferably December 4 to 11).

In a recent press meet at in Aizawl, the minister welcome ACHR representatives to Mizoram and see the facts and ground realities by themselves. Mentionable that soon after the violent attacks on Bru minorities by the miscreants in the State, the ACHR director Suhas Chakma wrote to the Mizoram government. “We have welcome the gesture of the minister Lalzirliana. Undoubtedly it is a positive step,” said Suhas Chakma. He of course urged the State government to make ‘necessary arrangement for adequate safety and security for the fact finding team’.

The ACHR, in order to ensure absolute independence, impartiality and objectivity, has already constituted a five member team. Chaired by Miloon Kothari, former United Nations special rapporteur on the right to adequate housing, the team also includes Suhas Chakma (ACHR), Dashalene Karbetang (Advocate and human rights activist of Meghalaya), Nava Thakuria (journalist of Assam) and Bamang Tago (chairman of Arunachal Citizens Rights).

“The investigation team has representation from most Northeastern States and headed by a former United Nations expert from India. The members are well known in the field of human rights both in the Northeast and the world,” stated in a release from the ACHR. It also added that the team would visit the affected areas and meet all sections of people including those involved in relief and rehabilitation, interview all the communities, representative of the civil society groups including the MZP and YMA and the officials of the government of Mizoram as well as those who recently fled to Tripura because of the conflict.

Mizoram rejects autonomous council demand for Reang tribals

Aizawl/Agartala, Nov 23 Mizoram has rejected the demand to set up an Autonomous District Council (ADC) for Reang tribals but said the government was ready to talk with them to solve any of their other problems. It also refused to seek a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into the ethnic violence in the state.
“My government is unable to accept the demand for a separate ADC for Reang tribals. We can discuss any other demands of the tribal minorities with the community leaders,” Mizoram Home Minister R. Lalzirliana told reporters in Aizawl late Sunday.

The minority Reang tribals, locally called Bru, and erstwhile separatist outfits have been demanding a separate ADC for the tribals since the early 1990s.

Lalzirliana also rejected a CBI probe into the killing of a Mizo youth Nov 13 and the subsequent ethnic violence in Mizoram.

Responding to accusation by New Delhi-based Asian Centre for Human Rights (ACHR) that the state government was behind the recent ethnic conflict triggered by the murder of a Mizo youth, the minister said: “ACHR representatives are most welcome to come to Mizoram and see the facts and ground realities by themselves.”

“They (ACHR officials) should come and see the relief work and other measures being undertaken by the state government, the churches and the NGOs in the violence hit western Mizoram areas,” the home minister said.

ACHR had last week urged the central government to order a CBI probe into the killing of a Mizo youth and the subsequent ethnic violence in Mizoram.

“Prima facie evidence does exist to establish beyond any reasonable doubt that the Mizoram government and some Mizo NGOs were behind the premeditated attacks to stall the process of repatriation of refugees. The authorities have remained silent. Therefore a CBI inquiry is indispensable,” Suhas Chakma, director of ACHR, had said in a statement.

In Mizoram, the estimated population of Reang tribals is 100,000. Besides, there are Chakmas and other tribals living in the mountainous border state, whose total population is about one million.

Over 35,000 Reang tribal refugees have been sheltered in six camps in north Tripura camps across the state border since 1997 after they fled Mizoram following ethnic clashes with the majority Mizos.

The tribal refugees’ repatriation from Tripura to Mizoram has turned complicated with violent mobs in western Mizoram burning down around 500 houses of Reang tribals last week following the gunning down of an 18-year-old Mizo youth.

Following the arson and violence, thousands of displaced Reang tribals have taken shelter in adjacent southern Assam and northern Tripura. Most of the displaced people are still living either in the jungle or under the open skies as winter draws in.

The central and Tripura governments have asked Mizoram to resolve the 12-year-old deadlock on the repatriation of Reang refugees to the state, Tripura Chief Minister Manik Sarkar told reporters in Agartala after returning from New Delhi Sunday.

In New Delhi, union Home Minister P. Chidambaram met Sarkar Friday and discussed ways to resolve the deadlock on the repatriation of 35,000 Reang refugees to Mizoram and fresh exodus into Tripura following the recent ethnic violence.

An inconclusive tripartite meeting was held in Aizawl Nov 4 between representatives of the central and Mizoram governments and tribal refugees to resolve the deadlock.

Chidambaram meets Tripura chief minister, discusses refugee repatriation

Agartala/New Delhi: Union Home Minister P. Chidambaram met Tripura Chief Minister Manik Sarkar in New Delhi Saturday and discussed ways to resolve the 12-year-old deadlock on the repatriation of 35,000 Reang refugees to Mizoram following the recent ethnic violence in the northeastern state, officials said.

"Union Home Minister P. Chidambaram held an urgent meeting with Tripura Chief Minister Manik Sarkar and talked about the possible steps to be taken to solve the stalemate over the repatriation of tribal refugees from Tripura to Mizoram," a senior official told newspersons in Agartala.

The official said: "During the meeting, the Tripura chief minister explained the socio-economic problems facing the state over the long stay of the tribal refugees and the recent exodus of tribals from Mizoram following the ethnic skirmishes."

Meanwhile, a New Delhi-based rights body -- Asian Centre for Human Rights (ACHR) -- urged the central government to order a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into the killing of a Mizo youth last week and the subsequent ethnic violence in Mizoram.

Over 35,000 Reang tribal refugees have been living in six north Tripura camps since 1997 after they fled Mizoram following ethnic clashes with the majority Mizos.

The tribal refugees' repatriation from Tripura to Mizoram has turned complicated with violent mobs in western Mizoram burning down around 500 houses of Reang tribals following the gunning down of a Mizo youth last week.

The central and Tripura governments have asked Mizoram to resolve the long-standing deadlock on the repatriation of Reang refugees to the state, the Tripura chief minister had told reporters in Agartala before leaving for New Delhi Friday.

The Reang tribal refugees, locally called Bru, have also sought Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's intervention to solve the 12-year-old ethnic crisis in Mizoram, bordering Myanmar and Bangladesh.

Following the arson and ethnic trouble, around 5,000 displaced Reang tribals have taken shelter in adjacent southern Assam and northern Tripura. Most of the displaced men, women and children are still living either in the jungle or under the open sky.

The tribal refugees Thursday, in a letter to the prime minister, demanded his urgent intervention to resolve the stalemate over their repatriation and recent ethnic troubles.

The Mizoram Bru Displaced People's Forum (MBDPF), an organisation of the Reang tribal refugees, has also demanded immediate deployment of central paramilitary forces in the Reang tribal dominated districts -- Mamit and Kolashib in western Mizoram.

Meanwhile, opposition Tripura Congress leader Ratan Lal Nath spoke with Mizoram Chief Minister Lal Thanhawla Friday and requested him to take steps to repatriate the Reang tribals.

Leaders of three Mizoram-based Reang tribal organisations Friday visited the affected villages in Mamit and Kolashib districts along the Tripura-Mizoram border and urged both the communities to maintain peace.

Suhas Chakma, director of ACHR, said: "Prima facie evidence does exist to establish beyond any reasonable doubt that the Mizoram government and some Mizo NGOs were behind the premeditated attacks to stall the process of repatriation of refugees. The authorities have remained silent. Therefore a CBI inquiry is indispensable."

A tripartite meeting held in Aizawl Nov 4 between representatives of the central and Mizoram governments and tribal refugees failed to resolve the 12-year deadlock to repatriate 35,000 Reang migrants from Tripura to Mizoram.

Tripura CM concerned over 'fresh influx' of Brus from Mizoram

Agartala: Tripura Chief Minister Manik Sarkar has expressed concern over the "fresh influx" of Bru refugees into the state from neighbouring Mizoram following the gunning down of a youth there.

"It is a matter of deep concern that there is a fresh influx of Reang (Bru) refugees into the state when the refugees sheltered in six evacuee camps in North Tripura district were supposed to go back," Sarkar told reporters, adding that he had discussed the issue with Home Minister P Chidambaram over phone.

"The fresh exodus from Mizoram would complicate the repatriation process of the refugees who are already staying in Tripura camps for the last 12 years," he said.

Sarkar, who will be in New Delhi today, is expected to meet Chidambaram and discuss the issue.

"Our concern is that already thousands of displaced Reangs are shelterd in camps in Tripura and if more displaced people enter into the state that would only complicate the situation. So we want the situation to be peaceful and the people sheltered in the camps return (to their homes)."

Northeast Folk Dancers Regale Audience at IITF

New Delhi, Nov 19 (PTI) Folk dancers from Rajasthan, Manipur, Gujarat and Punjab today regaled audiences at the India International Trade Fair here during the 'Delhi Day' celebration.

Industry Minister Haroon Yusuf participated in the celebration by lighting a lamp at the Lal Chowk at Pragati Maidan, the venue of the event.

The Delhi pavilion, which mainly features the city's preparation for next year's Commonwealth Games, has got a good response from visitors, said Commissioner of Industries Chetan Sanghi.

Delhi is the "partner state" in this year's trade fair.

The interiors of the Delhi pavilion have been remodelled by the Delhi State Industrial and Infrastructure Development Corporation (DSIIDC) and cover an area of 1,422 square metres.

Tension prevails along Mizoram-Tripura border

Kanchanpur/Janpui (Tripura), Nov 21 : Tension continues to prevail in border areas along Mizoram and Tripura.

A violent mob set fire over 360 Reang tribals huts, in around 15 villages in Mamit and Kolashib districts in Mizoram on November 14, displacing over 5, 000 people.The Mizoram government has issued shoot-at-sight orders to bring the situation under control.

Reports said violence erupted after members of the suspected Bru National Army, a local militant group, allegedly shot dead an 18-year-old Mizo boy while he was collecting fodder with his friends in a forest.

Angry Bru community members staged a protest in the Kanchanpur area and sought the central government's intervention in the case.

"Unless the central government intervenes in this matter, this will lead to communal violence," said Bruno, a displaced Bru tribal leader.

Thousands of Reang or Bru refugees have been staying in different camps in Tripura after ethnic clashes broke out in 1997.

Mob torches Bru huts in Western Mizoram

An irate mob, angered by the murder of an 18-year-old-boy by suspected Bru militants, continued to go on rampage and have burnt down more than 300 Bru huts in Thinghlun area along the Tripura border since Friday night, police said here on Sunday.

Although no physical attacks have been reported from anywhere, a group of boys visited a few deserted Bru villages and set them on fire, police said.

“It is impossible to prevent arson everywhere as the Bru settlements are scattered in inaccessible areas and the miscreants went in groups on jungle roads to torch the villages,” a senior police officer from Mamit told PTI over phone.

He said that around 300 families have fled to Tripura since the incident.

A similar incident had occurred in 1997 when Bru militants killed a forest department official triggering communal tension between the Mizo and the Bru communities.

Seven arrested for Bru arson in Mizoram

Aizawl: Seven people were arrested on the charge of arson in villages inhabited by Brus near Tripura border following the killing of a Mizo youth Zarzokima (18) by suspected Bru National Army militants.

A top police officer said today these people were arrested in the past three days.

"It was difficult to prevent youths who operated in small groups in the jungle roads and torched the scattered Bru villages in inaccessible areas," he said.

After the news of the slain youth spread, people from surrounding villages went to Bungthuam to pay last respect to Zarzokima, Bru settlements were set ablaze on Friday night, the police said.

Mizos attack Reang camps

10 injured in alleged retaliatory strike

File picture of a Reang refugee camp Agartala/Silchar, Nov. 15: At least 10 inmates of the Khakchang Reang refugee camp in Kanchanpur subdivision of North Tripura were injured when a group of Mizo tribal youths invaded their dwellings and beat them up this morning. The attack comes at a time when the 35,000 Reang refugees stranded in six camps in Kanchanpur subdivision are hoping for early repatriation to Mizoram from where they had fled in October 1997 in the wake of attacks on them by the Mizos. The attack has led to fresh tension in the Reang-dominated villages dotting both sides of the border between Mizoram and Tripura. The Reangs are also known as Brus. Yesterday, too, a large group of Mizos had tried to attack the Khakchang refugee camp close the border but the officer-in-charge of Damcherra police station, Bhabatoksh Talukdar, rushed to spot on time. This morning, another group of Mizo youths crossed over to Khakchang camp and assaulted the Reang inmates. “As soon as we received information, Talukdar rushed to the spot. It seems a police picket will have to be posted near the Tripura-Mizoram border to prevent such attacks,” said Dipak Kumar, superintendent of police. The Mizoram government has placed all the police stations in Mamit, Kolosib and Aizawl districts on an alert. Tension had been simmering in a cluster of Reang hamlets scattered in Mamit district for the past two days following the killing of a Mizo youth, Zozai Zima, allegedly by Reang tribals. In retaliation, the Mizos torched at least 50 houses of the Reang residents in five villages — Kalaliang, Lakchicherra, Mamit, Dampariang and Khinlung — yesterday. The police in Kolosib town suspect the murder was the handiwork of the Bru National Liberation Front (BNLF) cadres, who had laid down their arms to the Mizoram authorities four years ago. A few people, all Reangs, were injured while trying to escape retaliatory attacks by the Mizos. A senior police official in south Assam’s Hailakandi district said today there were no reports of any exodus in the district bordering Mizoram of the Reang people fleeing the retaliatory attacks. Addressing a news conference in Aizawl this afternoon, Mizoram home minister Lalzirliana said effective security steps would be taken in west Mizoram to prevent the situation from snowballing. He said 270 houses have been burnt down in nine Reang villages in Mizo backlash. The government is committed to keep peace there at any cost, and reinforcements have already been sent to the disturbed areas from Aizawl, he added.

Ethnic violence erupts in Mizoram

AIZAWL: Mobs set fire to over 225 huts of Reang tribals in Mizoram, displacing several thousands as tension escalated following the gunning down of a Mizo youth, officials said here on Sunday.

“Mobs have set ablaze more than 225 houses of Reang tribals in seven villages under Mamit and Kolashib districts in southern Mizoram since Saturday, displacing over 5,000 people,” a Mizoram home department official said. Displaced tribals have taken shelter in adjacent south Highlakhandhi areas of southern Assam and Jampui in northern Tripura.

“The ethnic violence erupted after the militants shot dead an 18-year-old Mizo youth at Bungthuam village, near the Tripura border, in southern Mizoram on Friday,” the official told reporters. The youth was shot dead when he and his friends were collecting pig fodder in a forest area. The two gunmen fled the spot soon after the incident.

A little known militant outfit, Bru National Army, claimed responsibility for the gunning down of the youth.

Condemning the killing, several political parties and the influential Young Mizo Association (YMA) in separate statements have demanded that those behind the killing be arrested and punished.

Warning the troublemakers, Mizoram Home minister R. Lalzirliana said those who disrupt peace would be firmly dealt with and brought to book.

District authorities in southern Assam and northern Tripura held meetings with local leaders and Reang tribals to maintain peace in mixed populated areas. “Both civil and police administrations in northern Tripura are on alert to prevent any eventuality following the ethnic violence and exodus of Reang tribals from Mizoram,” said north Tripura district magistrate Samarjit Bhowmik.

Over 35,000 Reang (locally called Bru) tribal refugees have been living in six north Tripura camps since 1997 after they fled Mizoram following ethnic clashes with the majority Mizos.

The recent tripartite meeting here between representatives of Centre, Mizoram government and tribal refugees failed to resolve the 12-year deadlock to repatriate 35,000 Reang migrants from Tripura to Mizoram. “Both the Centre and the Mizoram government rejected our major demands. We will not return to our homes unless our vital demands are fulfilled,” said Elvis Chorkhy, who led the refugee delegation at the meeting.

Eight killed in Mizoram bus accident

Aizawl, Nov 14 : At least eight people were killed and 34 injured when the bus they were travelling in fell into a deep gorge in Mizoram, police said Saturday.

The passenger bus was plying between Mizoram capital Aizawl and Farkawn village, bordering Myanmar. While approaching Champhai town late Friday, it rolled down into the 100-feet deep gorge in Buang village in eastern Mizoram, a police official said.

While six people died on the spot, two succumbed to their injuries at the Champhai district government hospital. Fifteen of the injured are said to be in a critical condition. The bus was carrying 42 passengers.

Source: Eight killed in Mizoram bus accident

Bru rebels kill Mizo youth

Aizawl, Nov 13 : Suspected Bru rebels shot dead an 18-year-old youth at Bungthuam, near Tripura border, in Mizoram today, police said.

Zarzokima was shot dead when he and his friends were collecting animal fodder in a forest area at around 9:30 am.

IAF glider makes ‘precautionary landing’

SHILLONG: An Indian Air Force (IAF) power hand-glider made a ‘precautionary landing’ in Assam’s Barpeta district on Saturday while it was flying from Hasimara in North Bengal to Guwahati.
IAF sources here said “inclement weather’’ forced the pilots to land the glider on the banks of the Brahmaputra near Bohori. There was no injury to the two IAF personnel in the glider, they said adding it will later fly to Guwahati.

Brus to boycott repatriation

Aizawl, Nov 7 (PTI) Bru refugees, lodged in Tripura relief camps, today said they would not accept the proposal of the Centre and the Mizoram government for their repatriation.

Leader of Bru Displaced People's Forum (BDPF) Elvis Chorky said the decision to boycott the repatriation, scheduled to commence from November 16, was taken as the Centre and the Mizoram government refused to accept their long-standing demands.

The Bru leaders had demanded that they should be given Rs 50,000 as against proposed Rs 20,000 for rehabilitation and Rs 38,000 per family for resettlement after repatriation.

Also, the Rs 33 crore special development Central package should be used strictly for Bru areas.

Meanwhile, Mizoram government said all Brus who have been identified as bona fide residents of Mizoram and holding electoral photo identity cards can return to the state from mid-November and further identification process would be taken up later.

Mizo drivers trained to fight traffickers, Mizo river poisoned

Aizawl, Nov 5 : A four-day training, organised by the Community Health Action Network(CHAN), for Mizoram state transport bus drivers and conductors to fight against human trafficking was inaugurated here on Tuesday.

”Since many human traffickers used state transport buses to look convincing for transporting their victims, it is crucial to sensitise the drivers and conductors with the tale-tell signs of human trafficking,” said Mr Jimmy, coordinator of CHAN.

Anti-human trafficking program was started in Mizoram by the Salvation Army in 2005. The quasi-military church’s organ CHAN, which is undertaking the operation, has received a number of cases related to human trafficking.

”Many job seekers have come to us to ensure the credibility of job providers advertised in the newspapers before they go for them,” Mr Jimmy added.

Activists working in this field have underscored that the increasing joblessness has made Mizoram vulnerable to human trafficking.

Police reports say at least 700 girls from the region have been reported missing over the last five years.

River poisoning results in water scarcity in Aizawl

AIZAWL, Nov 5 : City dwellers are reeling under acute water scarcity after its supply was stopped due to the poisoning of a river.

State Public Health Engineering department officials today said that the poisoning of Serlui river, a tributary of river Tlawng, where from water is supplied to Aizawl, was detected yesterday and all the tanks were emptied.

Yesterday morning, a large number of dead fish, crab and prawn was found floating in the river. Later, laboratory tests confirmed the poisoning, officials said.

Around 47 lakh litres of water, already pumped into tanks got wasted, they said, adding that sabotage cannot be ruled out in the case.