More than 200 Meiteis both men and women from Manipur, who had sought refuge in Myanmar following ethnic clashes that erupted in the state on May 3, have now returned safely to Manipur, according to a statement by Manipur Chief Minister N. Biren Singh.
“Relief and gratitude as 212 fellow Indian citizens (all Meiteis) who sought safety across the Myanmar border post the May 3rd unrest in Moreh town of Manipur are now safely back on Indian soil,”
“A big shout-out to the Indian Army for their dedication in bringing them home. Sincere gratitude to GOC (General Officer Commanding) Eastern Command, Lt Gen R P Kalita, GOC 3 Corps, Lt Gen HS Sahi and CO (Commanding Officer) of 5 AR, Col Rahul Jain for their unwavering service,”the chief minister wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter, on Friday.
Relief and gratitude as 212 fellow Indian citizens (all Meiteis) who sought safety across the Myanmar border post the May 3rd unrest in Moreh town of Manipur, are now safely back on Indian soil.
A big shout-out to the Indian Army for their dedication in bringing them home.…
— N.Biren Singh (@NBirenSingh) August 18, 2023
The turmoil on May 3 had led to violence erupting in Churachandpur district, particularly affecting Moreh, when a protest rally organized by the Kuki-Zo-Chin tribes escalated due to the Meiteis’ demand for Scheduled Tribes (ST) status. More than 160 people have been killed and several hundreds injured in clashes between the two communities in Manipur since May 3.
