Refugee crisis escalates in Mizoram as 50 more arrive from Myanmar; total reaches 34,332

The refugee crisis in Mizoram has intensified as approximately 50 more individuals from Myanmar have sought shelter in the Northeastern state, bringing the total number of refugees from Myanmar to 34,332. According to a government official in Mizoram, the recent arrivals, including 10 women, fled from Paletwa in Myanmar’s Chin region. They sought refuge in Hruitezawl village in Mizoram’s Lawngtlai district over the past few days to evade forced recruitment into the Arakan Army (AA) militant group. The Arakan Army, originating from Rakhine in Myanmar, is the largest armed ethnic group in the country. They are actively recruiting individuals from the Chin region to bolster their resistance against the national military. “Young people in Myanmar who refuse to join the Arakan Army are fleeing to Mizoram to seek safety,” stated the official.

Prior to the latest influx, 34,282 individuals from Myanmar had already sought refuge in Mizoram’s 11 districts in various stages following the military coup in Myanmar on February 1, 2021. Currently, a total of 34,332 refugees from Myanmar, including 10,900 women and 13,310 children, are residing in relief camps in Mizoram, while others are staying with relatives or renting accommodations. In addition to the refugees from Myanmar, approximately 10,000 individuals, including men, women, and children, sought shelter in Mizoram after ethnic violence erupted in neighboring Manipur in May of the previous year. Furthermore, 1,167 people from the Chittagong Hill Tracts in Bangladesh have sought refuge in Mizoram since 2022.

The Kuki-Zomi-Chin communities in Myanmar, Bangladesh, and Manipur share ethnic, cultural, and linguistic ties with the Mizo people. Earlier in March, Mizoram Home Minister K Sapdanga assured that the government would continue to provide relief to over 42,000 individuals from Myanmar, Bangladesh, and Manipur who have sought refuge in the state.According to the most recent data from the Home Department, there are 9,248 individuals from Manipur, 32,161 from Myanmar, and 1,167 from Bangladesh currently residing in Mizoram.