Conflict continues in Myanmar pushing more refugees to Mizoram
At least 12,939 Myanmar nationals, including women and children, are currently seeking refuge in various parts of the state.
Aizawl: More refugees from Myanmar’s Chin state are entering Mizoram’s southern and eastern districts, a police official said on Saturday due to endless clashes between members of Myanmar‘s military and local civilian militias.
At least 12,939 Myanmar nationals, including women and children, are currently taking refuge in various parts of the state. Of those, details of 1,518 citizens have not yet been recorded, officials said.
He said their numbers keep changing as new entrants arrive almost every day, while others, who live near the international border, come and go regularly.
According to the police official, local people, community leaders, NGOs, churches and individuals provide shelter and food to Myanmar citizens.
According to state police, a total of 9,411 refugees live in the six border districts of Champai, Lavantalai, Siyaha, Serchip, Hanhatial and Saituwal. Statistics show that Myanmar’s citizens are taking refuge in eleven districts, with the highest number of 5,998 Champhai residences, while the state capital, Aizawl, has 1,622 people.
MC Lalramengar Tuipuiral Group, president of the Young Mizo Association (YMA), said about 2,690 Myanmar nationals are currently taking refuge in the Tuipuiral area of 21 villages in Champhai district near the Indo-Myanmar border.
He said refugees from the Chinese state of Myanmar frequently enter border villages and more are expected to arrive after their harvest season.
Lalramenga said that the local residents of Tuipuiral have set up relief camps and temporary shelters in 1 village of Tuipurail.
In addition to many NGOs, some churches such as Presbyterian, Baptist and Roman Catholic also provide food and clothing to refugees in addition to financial aid.
Lalhamchuana, vice-president of the Central Young Mizo Association (CYMA), said the organization had recently distributed Rs 1.5 million to help the citizens of Myanmar.
He said the money was raised through public donations.
Lamashuana said the CYMA would send two trucks of clothing items for Myanmar nationals to two southern border districts next week.
Mizoram shares a 510 km long international border with Myanmar. Of the six border districts, Champai, Siyaha, Loantalai and Hanthial have seen the highest number of arrivals from Myanmar since September 7, according to officials.
The northeastern state has been facing infiltration from Myanmar since it seized military power in a coup in February. The citizens of Myanmar are mostly from the Chinese community, who share ethnic ties with the Mizos.
Although the Mizoram government had made several applications for asylum to Myanmar nationals on humanitarian grounds, the Center was silent on the matter.
Conflict continues in Myanmar pushing more refugees to Mizoram
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by News East India staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
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