Mizoram govt asks Bru refugees to return home

The Mizoram government has decided to welcome back the Bru refugees lodged at six relief camps in north Tripura, who had fled their home state following an ethnic conflict in the western part of Mizoram in 1997.

''The Bru refugees can now return to Mizoram by mid-November,'' home secretary Lalmalsawma said, who led a meeting on the Bru repratriation here yesterday.

A tripartite meeting between the state government, Bru delegation and Union Ministry of Home Affairs was held here to resolve the long standing deadlock on the repatriation of 35,000 Reang refugees from Tripura to Mizoram.

The day-long marathon meeting that ended inconclusively over details of the economic settlement was attended by director in the Union Home Ministry R R Jha, a 20-member Mizoram government delegation and a seven-member refugee delegation led by Elvis Chorky.

Mr Lalmalsawma stated that Brus in the relief camps had been identified as bonafide residents of Mizoram and were also holding electoral photo identity cards.

''It is the stance of the government that all those who are already identified as bonafide residents of the state can return to Mizoram,'' he informed.

The Brus are expected to resettle in the districts where they lived before migrating to Tripura in 1997.

Mizoram Home Minister R Lalzirliana recently told the state Assembly that preparations for repatriation of tribal refugees from six relief camps in neighbouring north Tripura district had almost finalised.

''We hope that the repatriation process can soon be done after the Centre provides financial assistance for the proposed expenditure of Rs 258 million for implementation of the repatriation and resettlement package,'' the Minister has said.

He added the repatriated Brus would be settled in different districts where they were living before migrating to Tripura in October 1997 and that they should not be concentrated in one Assembly constituency or in a district.

-- (UNI) -- 05CA25.xml

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