Myanmar’s military has been accused of shooting dead two Tamils in the country, with tensions raised across the border in Manipur’s town of Moreh.
The two Tamils have been identified as 28-year-old P. Mohan and 32-year-old M. Pyanar. They had reportedly travelled across the short border from Moreh where they lived to Tamu on Tuesday morning. Mohan had just gotten married two weeks ago.
According to reports, they were shot dead by Pyu Shaw Htee, a militia affiliated with Myanmar military.
"The Myanmar Army might have suspected them to be spies and shot them dead," said the local Tamil Sangam. "There is a killing every day by the Army in this part of Myanmar,”
“According to the MHA guidelines, the international border is closed as the situation in Myanmar is tense after the coup by the military in that country. But as it is a porous border, people from both sides cross it over for trade, livelihood and other reasons. Unfortunately, this incident happened.”
Shops were shut in Moreh with a markedly increased security presence in the town. There is a reported population of around 3,000 Tamils in Moreh, many of whom migrated from Yangon in Myanmar in the 1960s. The two murdered Tamils had been born and brought up in Moreh.