Residents of the India-Myanmar border town of Moreh in Manipur have been advised “not to venture” into the neighbouring country without proper documents and permits from the authorities concerned because of the tense situation following the killing of two youths from the state.

Security has been beefed up along the border besides imposition of Section 144 in the town to avert any untoward incident after the Tuesday killing.

Two youths, who had gone to attend a birthday party in Tamu located in coup-hit Myanmar, were shot dead by the Pyu Shaw Htee, a militia-backed by the military junta.

On Thursday, DIG Manipur held a meeting with civil society organisations for over an hour and briefed them about what the administration was doing in the case. Moreh police said the situation was under control.

K.B.S. Maniam, the general secretary of the Tamil Sangman, an organisation of the Tamils living in Moreh, told The Telegraph that the situation was calm, but most shops and business establishments remained closed for the second day in protest against the killings and in support of their demand that the bodies of the youths to be returned to their families.

“Security has been beefed up. Both police and Assam Rifles personnel have been deployed at the border and in the town to maintain order. A senior police official came from Imphal to hold a meeting with the CSOs this morning,” Maniam said.

M. Iyernar, 35, and P. Mohan, 28 — had gone to Tamu to attend a birthday party on Tuesday morning and reports of their getting shot by the Pyu Shaw Htee, a militia backed by the military junta, started doing the rounds in the afternoon, sparking off tension in the town.

“We were told the state government had apprised the Centre about the case. The Myanmar government has also been intimated that the Indian government is waiting for their response. We will meet again to decide our future course of action if we don’t get the bodies,” 64-year-old Maniam, a school principal, said.

The advisory not to venture into Myanmar was issued by Tengnoupal deputy commissioner Mannuamching on Wednesday but there has been no mention about the killings in the advisory.

Sources in Moreh said sounds of firing between the junta and pro-democracy forces can be heard in the evening on the Myanmar side — and the situation in Moreh too was tense following the killings.

“As such several steps have been taken to control the situation in Moreh. The situation in Myanmar is worrisome,” a source said.

Agitated protesters had on Wednesday pelted stones at shops located across the border in Myanmar after receiving the news of the killings; few even entered a few metres and burnt down an unused sentry shed in the afternoon. Locals from the Myanmar side also retaliated by pelting stones on the Moreh side, sources said.

Manipur shares around a 380km porous border with Myanmar. Tamu is about 2km away from Moreh and people of both districts share close ties owing to relatives on either side and strong business ties.

There was also a protest in front of the Moreh police station demanding the handing over of the bodies. Members of six civil society organisations took out a peace rally.

The CSOs took out the rally after submitting a memorandum to the chief minister N. Biren Singh through an additional deputy commissioner demanding the handing over of the bodies within 24 hours or they would “resort” to any form of agitation.

The CSOs, while condemning the incident, had also sought ex-gratia for the families of the two youths, as they were the sole bread-earners for their families.