Clashes between Myanmar Chin rebel groups triggers fresh influx of 'refugees' in Mizoram village

Guwahati: Fresh armed conflict between two Chin rebel groups in Myanmar's Chin state forced more than 1,000 nationals of the neighbouring nation to take shelter at a village in Mizoram.

A leader of Young Mizo Association (YMA), a prominent civil society organisation in Mizoram, told DH on Sunday that the Myanmar nationals crossed the border on Friday and Saturday and took shelter at Zokhawthar village.

Zokhawthar village is in Champhai district, along the India-Myanmar border, and had witnessed influx of several such Myanmar nationals in the past too. "Most of them have been provided shelter in a hall of the YMA at Zokhawthar and some are staying in the houses of their relatives," said the YMA leader.

Sources in security agencies said villagers fled as armed cadres of Chin National Defence Force (CNDF) and Chinland Defence Force (CDF)-Hualngoram exchanged bullets and mortars in villages bordering Zokhawthar.

This forced the Assam Rifles to seal the border gate at Zokhawthar.

Constant fight

More than 30,000 Myanmar nationals have taken shelter in Mizoram since the military took over the elected government in 2021. Many of them have been taking shelter in community halls and their relatives' houses.

The constant military action on the rebel groups, "pro-democracy protesters" and the frequent fights among rebel organisations resulted in an influx of Myanmar nationals to Mizoram, a state with just 13 lakh of population.

Chins of Myanmar and the Mizos share ethnic ties and were provided shelter on humanitarian ground. But the Mizoram government recently said the "refugees" from the neighbouring nation were found involved in nearly 50 per cent of the crimes reported in the state.

Expressing concern over the situation, Mizoram CM Lalduhoma also urged the Myanmar "refugees" to respect the law of the land and culture and customs of the Mizos in order to prevent crimes.