The High Court of Manipur on Monday directed the state and central governments to facilitate the travel of seven Myanmarese nationals to New Delhi “without any obstruction” to enable them to avail “suitable protection” from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNCHR).
Dubbing the seven as “asylum seekers”, a division bench comprising Chief Justice Sanjay Kumar and Justice Lanusungkum Jamir passed the order while dealing with a petition filed by human rights advocate Nandita Haksar requesting their safe passage to UNCHR’s office in Delhi.
The seven four adults and three children had “illegally” entered Moreh in Manipur, bordering Myanmar, to escape possible persecution by the military junta following the February 1 coup in the neighbouring country. Three of them are journalists.
Moreh, Manipur, India – Seven Myanmar nationals, including three journalists from a Yangon-based media house, are set to travel to New Delhi to approach the India office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) after a court in the northeastern state of Manipur ordered safe passage for them on Monday.
The seven Myanmar nationals had been “hiding” in Moreh, a border town in Manipur’s Tengnoupal district, for weeks before they arrived in the state capital Imphal on April 21 following court-ordered interim protection.
The seven are among hundreds of Myanmar nationals, including policemen, military personnel and legislators, who are seeking shelter in the Indian states of Manipur and Mizoram after they fled to escape a brutal crackdown following a military coup on February 1 this year.
Manipur High Court verdict on protecting 7 Burmese
The Manipur High Court has ruled in favour of extending protection and preventing deportation of seven Burmese refugees, posing a big question on the Centre’s
| 24 April 2021 1:17 AM GMT
KOLKATA: The Manipur High Court has ruled in favour of extending protection and preventing deportation of seven Burmese refugees, posing a big question on the Centre s policy to stop the influx of people from the neighbouring Myanmar in the wake of military repression there after the February 1 coup.
A bench of Chief Justice Sanjay Kumar and Justice Lanusungkum Jamir, passing the verdict on a case filed by India s leading human rights lawyer Nandita Haksar, ruled that these seven refugees need to be protected .