By Devjyot Ghoshal
NEW DELHI (Reuters) – Indian security forces stepped up patrols at the Myanmar border on Friday to prevent refugees from entering after some police crossed the territory to escape under orders from the local military junta, officials said.
“At the moment, we are not allowing anyone to enter,” Maria Zuali, a senior government official in the Champhai district of Mizoram state, told Reuters by telephone.
The move follows the defection at the border of some low-ranking Myanmar police officers who were unwilling to obey orders to crack down on demonstrations against the junta.
Myanmar’s military overthrew a democratically elected government on February 1, sparking protests across the country that left more than 50 dead. A military spokesman did not comment on police defectors.
Indian soldiers and police patrolled the border on Friday.
In the Serchhip district, senior officer Kumar Abhishek said eight people, including a woman and a child, had crossed the border and were being treated.
“We are predicting that a few more will be able to come,” he said.
Authorities were preparing to house between 30 and 40 people, he said.
In all, about 30 Myanmar police and their families have crossed over to India in the past few days, said a Mizoram police officer, including some who came overnight.
The official, who requested anonymity, said people were sneaking in despite intense patrol by Indian soldiers along a border that embraces the Tiau River, which flows between forested hills.
“People are coming from different routes,” said the official, “the border is porous, you can’t avoid it.”
An Indian federal security official said the passing police said they did not want to comply with the military’s orders to contain the protests.
“They claimed that there are human rights violations and were invited to shoot civilians,” said the official, also requesting anonymity.
The influx of refugees, mainly from the police, puts India in a dilemma because of New Delhi’s close ties to the Myanmar military, known as Tatmadaw.
In the past two years, the Tatmadaw has set up operations at the request of India to expel insurgents along the northeastern border. India, for its part, presented Myanmar with its first submarine last year.
“It is a bit of a difficult situation for India because diplomatic balance is crucial,” said the official.
India’s Foreign Ministry has not responded to Reuters questions about the scale of the new arrivals and what it intends to do with those who have already made the transition.
(Reporting by Devjyot Ghoshal; Editing by Sanjeev Miglani and Angus MacSwan)