The Mizoram Government would not begin the process of Bru/Reang repatriation from Tripura until and unless the Bru National Liberation Front (BNLF) lays down arms and ends illegal activities, State Home Minister Tawnluia said. Tawnluia said the stand of the State Government was conveyed to Union Home Minister L. K. Advani and Tripura Chief Minister Manik Sarkar.

"The discussion held under the chairmanship of Advani was not conclusive and the Mizoram government did not make any commitment on the phase-wise repatriation process as suggested by the ministry," he said, adding, Mizoram rather reiterated its stand on BNLF during the meeting. 

Tawnluia said that the Mizoram Government did not have any objection to the repatriation of Reangs/Brus who were identified as bona fide residents of Mizoram from Tripura refugee camps. 
"The repatriation process, however, have to commence only after BNLF activists laid down arms," he said. 
On the number of Brus who fled Mizoram to Tripura, the State Home Minister said according to calculation made by the deputy commissioners of the affected districts, the figure would range from 15,000 to 16,500. He said that the lists were returned to the Tripura government for further clarification as the names were listed without the name of district or block or villages where they originally belonged to Mizoram.