Last month the Arunachal Pradesh Government of North East India awarded 90 Tibetan families Scheduled Tribe/Scheduled Caste (ST/SC) status. The refugees fled Tibet in the late 1950s and early 1960s following the Chinese invasion and subsequent repressive rule. The decision has its critics. The Arunachal Pradesh Student Union (APSU) has expressed concern that the move may spark other refugees to seek the same status. The concerns stem from problems in the region related to the massive influx of Chakma, Hajong and Chin migrants. The ASPU fear that the decision may cause more people to migrate to the northern state, and exacerbating problems for the indigenous people in the region. Arunachal Pradesh government officials have defended their decision by stating that the Tibetan families are part of northeast India
