MZ-BRU-APPEAL

The umbrella organisation of the

35,000 odd Bru refugees living in Tripura on Tuesday appealed

to new Mizoram Chief Minister Zoramthanga to take initiative

for solving the 22-year-old problem of the displaced people.

The Bru refugees are living in six relief camps at

Kanchanpur sub-division in North Tripura district since 1997.

In a letter to Zoramthanga, Mizoram Bru Displaced

People's Forum (MBDPF) general secretary Bruno Msha asked the

chief minister to give audience to the MBDPF leaders on the

issue in Delhi or Aizawl.

As the chief minister is currently visiting New Delhi,

Msha informed Zoramthanga that A Sawibunga and R

Laldawngliana, MBDPF president and vice president

respectively, and he would be in the national capital till

Wednesday.

He expressed hope that the new state government would

soon convene a meeting with Bru leaders to deliberate the

issues of repatriation and rehabilitation of the displaced

Brus lodged in the relief camps in North Tripura district.

Mizo National Front president Zoramthanga was swron in

as chief minister on December 15. His government succeeded the

10-year regime of the Congress.

Thousands of Bru refugees from Mizoram fled to Tripura

during an ethnic violence in 1997. The clashes broke out after

a forest official was killed by Bru National Liberation Front

(BNLF) militants.

The Centre, in association with the governments of

Mizoram and Tripura, was repatriating the displaced Brus in

phases.

Though several Bru families have returned to Mizoram

over the years, many refused to leave Tripura citing security

reasons and inadequate package.

During the latest repatriation process between August

25 to September 25 last year, only 150 refugees of 42 families

returned to Mizoram.

Msha asked the chief minister to give top priority to

the Bru issue so that all the communities in the state could

live with dignity and honour.