Enumeration of Reang refugees begins

Headlines Vol. 2 Issue No. 7

July 7 - 21, 2003

Enumeration of Reang refugees begins

A six-member team led by chief electoral officer of Mizoram began enumeration of more than 30,000 Reang refugees sheltered in six evacuee camps in North Tripura district. The team which arrived in the camps in Kanchanpur subdivision started enumeration of the camp inmates for inclusion of their names in the voter lists and verify the existing electoral rolls of the Reang refugees.
The Reangs had fled to Tripura in 1997 following ethnic clashes in Mizoram and the government of the former state appealed to the Centre on several occasions to take necessary steps to ensure their safe repatriation.
Tripartite talks involving Union Home Ministry, Tripura and Mizoram governments were held in 2000 in Delhi. The Union Home Ministry had directed Zoramthanga-led Mizoram government to take back the Reangs but no positive step was taken from that side so far.
The possibility of early repatriation of the refugees suffered a setback with the Mizoram government saying that only the bonafide Reangs would be taken back.
Mizoram Government had also put forward the condition that the Bru National Liberation Front (BNLF), an insurgent outfit, should lay down arms before holding any talks for the refugees’ repatriation.

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