2 Myanmarese staying incognito for 3 years arrested, convicted by court in Manipur

Imphal: Two Myanmar nationals stated to be a Rohingya couple staying incognito at the border town Moreh for the past 3 years were arrested and produced before a court in Manipur's Imphal.

Officials said that the Court of Chief Judicial Magistrate Imphal West on Wednesday convicted the Rohingya couple for staying without valid documents in Manipur.

Zeyabur Rahman (37), son of (L) Serajun Salam, and his wife Fatiam Begum (35) of Myanmar's Maungsawat state were arrested by the police.

The arrests came after the couple came to inquire about a teen Rohingya detained at Singjamei police station.

After producing them before the court, they were convicted under Section 14 (C) of the Foreigners Act.
As per the charge sheet against them for summary trial, they are Rohingya Muslims and had fled to Bangladesh following a military crackdown in Myanmar.

They stayed in a refugee camp in Myanmar for a few months before coming to Kolkata (West Bengal).

From Kolkata, they went to Hyderabad and made UNHCR identity cards through the Hyderabad branch of the UN refugee agency.

With the possession of the UNHCR cards, the family came to Moreh where they started settling there incognito for the past three years.

During the proceeding inside the court, they were told that any foreign national could not stay in Manipur without a pass issued under the Protected Area Permit.

After convicting them for violating the Foreigner Act, the court, however, allowed the police to detain them at a designated refugee detention center in Manipur and also imposed a fine of Rs 2 thousand each against them.

Additionally, Md Anash, 16, son of Zeyabur Rahman was arrested by the airport authorities at Imphal on Wednesday.

The juvenile has been sent to Takyel Boys Observation Home in Imphal West district for 15 days.