Fleeing armed struggle, over 1000 Myanmar refugees flee to Mizoram in a fresh influx

More than 1,000 Myanmar refugees have crossed the India border and entered  Mizoram following an armed struggle between Myanmar military and anti-junta regime forces raising the total number of Myanmar nationals taking refuge in the northeastern state to over 36,500 , an official of Mizoram home department said on Wednesday.The official said that at least 600 Myanmar refugees mostly from Chin state fled to  Vaikhawtlang village in east Mizoram’s Champhai district and about 190 others crossed over to  Khuangphah village in the same district on Sunday. He said that 300 more refugees from Myanmar’s Khawmawi village entered Zokhawthar village in Champhai district on Wednesday.

The official said that the Myanmar refugees entered Mizoram fleeing armed clashes between the  Myanmar military, supposedly aided by the insurgent group, Zomi Revolutionary Army – Eastern Command (ZRA-EC), and pro-democratic forces led by the Chin National Army (CNA).The Myanmar refugees from Khawmawi fled to Zokhawthar due to the fear of air raids by the Myanmar air force, he said. He said that the residents of Khawmawi, who fled to Zokhawthar, are expected to return to their village within a few days. Khawmawi is contiguous to Zokhawthar and the two villages are separated by Tiau river,  the boundary that divides India and Myanmar.

Media reports in Myanmar quoted CNA spokesperson Salai Htet Ni saying the armed group captured Cikha, a small town near the Indo-Myanmar border in Chin state’s Tonzang Township on Sunday. Tonzang is located around 130 km from Mizoram.The official also said that  more than 2,000 Myanmar refugees have so far entered and took refuge in Mizoram since May 5. With the fresh influx, more than 36,500 Myanmar refugees are now taking shelter across all the 11 districts of Mizoram, he said.Majority of them are staying outside relief camps by joining relatives or friends as well as staying in rented houses, while  others live in 149 relief camps across 7 districts, the official said. The Myanmar nationals taking shelter in Mizoram are mostly the Chin communities, who share ethnic ties with the Mizos. Six Mizoram’s districts- Champhai, Siaha, Lawngtlai, Hnahthial, Serchhip and Saitual share a 510-km long border with Myanmar’s Chin state.