Mizoram Government refused to repatriate Bru refugees within three months

Mizoram Government on 12 April 2014 refused to repatriate all the Bru refugees lodged in six Tripura relief camps within three months.

Earlier on 8 April 2014, the state government had agreed to the demand of the NGO Coordination Committee to repatriate the Bru refugees within three month. It agreed that they would repatriate all the Bru refugees after the end of the ongoing election process. Apart from this the state government, also agreed to delete the names of those from the voter lists of Mizoram, who refused to return back.

Who are Bru refugees?
The Bru Refugees also called Reang refugees are the original inhabitants of Mammit Sub-Division of Aizawl District of Mizoram. They started arriving in North Tripura’s Kanchanpur sub division since 29 October 1997.

The main reasons for the migration of Bru refugees for the migration were:

(i) Resistance to the demand of Bru community for an exclusive Autonomous District Council by Mizo community

(ii) Traditional rivalry of BRU community with Mizo community

Reang or Bru Refugees are among one the 21 scheduled tribes of Tripura and Reang was added to their nomenclature accidentally by the Union government during a census count.

Dialects (language) of the Bru Refugees - they use the dialect of Kokborok language locally referred to the Kau Bru with Tibeto-Burmese origin.

What is Repatriation?
Repatriation is a process in which people returns back to their place of origin or citizenship. This process includes steps of returning of the refugees or the military personnel to their place of origin following a war. Whereas, the forced return of people to a country where he/they faces persecution is defined as Refoulement.