(19 Mar 2021) A group of Myanmar police officers have fled to neighboring India after defying orders to shoot people opposed to last month's coup.
34 former police officers and a firefighter, who took refuge in the Indian state of Mizoram, say they fear they may never be able to return home.
Mizoram is northeast India and shares a border with Bangladesh and Myanmar.
"We were told to shoot our own family if they are not on the side of the army," said a former police officer from Tedim in Myanmar. "We cannot hurt our own people. That is why we came to Mizoram."
He declined to be identified, citing concerns his family back in Myanmar could face retribution.
The Associated Press has not been able to independently verify his claims.
Locals in Mizoram have provided shelter, beds and food to the Myanmar nationals on humanitarian grounds.
Those who escaped spend their time watching local television and doing daily chores.
Some of them have carried mobile phones and are trying to connect to families they were forced to leave behind.
At night, they sleep on mattresses laid on the floor of a single room.
Earlier this month, Myanmar asked India to return the police officers who crossed the border.
Last week, India's Home Ministry told four Indian states bordering Myanmar to take measures to prevent refugees from entering India except on humanitarian grounds.
The ministry said the states were not authorized to accord refugee status to anyone entering India from Myanmar, as India is not a signatory to the U.N. Refugee Convention of 1951 or its 1967 Protocol.
Find out more about AP Archive: [ Ссылка ]
Twitter: [ Ссылка ]
Facebook: [ Ссылка ]
Instagram: [ Ссылка ]
You can license this story through AP Archive: [ Ссылка ]
