The Coordination Committee (CorCom), an umbrella organisation of militant groups, on Sunday refuted the news report published in the media with the headline ‘Myanmar military using NE rebels to attack refugees’, and termed it a propaganda of the lowest standards by the Indian intelligence.
This was not the first time the Indian Government had attempted to misguide the public by spreading false and fabricated news reports about the revolutionary organisations of Manipur and ‘Western South East Asia (WESEA),’ CorCom publicity committee stated in a release.
Concerning the role taken by the news agency Indo-Asian News Service (IANS) in spreading the propaganda, “IANS has a history of spreading fake news on its platform and several instances of fake news has been documented by AltNews,” CorCom stated.
It stated that against the order issued by the government to block Myanmar refugees from crossing the border, there have been instances of Manipuris objecting the order and making attempts to provide shelter to the refugees.
Meanwhile, the refugees attempting to flee into Manipur are continually being pushed back by the Assam Rifles, it added.
Following the Centre’s mandate, the state government had issued an order, instructing the district administrations and civil bodies not to welcome the refugees, it stated.
In response, the office of the United Nations (UN) has urged the neighbouring countries of Myanmar, without specifically naming India, to provide shelter and protection to the refugees, it added.
Assistance commissioner for protection, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHRC) Gillian Triggs; South East Asia regional representative, UNHRC Cynthia Velico and several statements issued by the United Nations Humans Rights Office have been appealing to provide passage, shelter and protection to the refugees who have fled across the border, CorCom stated. They have highlighted that in this regard, countries have been following the International Laws for approaching the issues concerning the refugees, it further stated.
They urged the countries not to push the refugees back into a situation where their freedom will be endangered and drew attention to follow the international law to provide the refugees shelter and protection until the crisis in Myanmar gets resolved, it added.
Despite knowing all these, India broke all rules and regulations of the international refugee convention and the United Nations by deploying Assam Rifles and other security personnel to force back Myanmar refugees, the CorCom alleged.
To avoid criticism, the sabotage propaganda was started to misrepresent the insurgent groups of Manipur before the people of Myanmar by shifting blames to the revolutionary groups with lies, it added.
The prevalent issue Myanmar, which is an independent country, concerns its own people. There are no good reasons or rhyme for the people of Manipur along with its revolutionary groups to get involved in Myanmar’s issues, CorCom stated, adding, the revolutionary organisations have no business with Myanmar's affairs.
“We do not have any interest in working for protection of the international border between Myanmar and Manipur as well,” it said.
Not only their security forces, the people of Myanmar know that revolutionary groups of Manipur work by regarding them in highest esteem and respect, and have not interfered with the sovereignty and national integrity of Myanmar, the CorCom stated.
In addition, the revolutionary groups of Manipur are not mercenaries which can be bought with money or gains, it further stated.
To push the false propaganda, Assam Rifles may start killing the refugees by terming them insurgents , it stated.
Appealing to the people of Myanmar to remain cautious, it alleged AR personnel have killed many civilians here through fake encounters. CorCom also appealed to the people of Myanmar, Manipur and the rest of the world not to believe in the false propaganda, the release added.
