Aizawl. Amid fresh clashes between the army and pro-democracy forces in Myanmar, 1,430 Myanmar citizens have taken refuge in Mizoram in 10 days. An official gave this information on Saturday. The official said that at least 40 Myanmar citizens, including women and children, crossed the India-Myanmar forest border on Friday and Saturday and took refuge in Saitual and Champhai districts of Mizoram.
Sources said that villagers of both the districts are providing food and shelter to the refugees. According to a Mizoram government official, most of the refugees are residents of Myanmar’s Chin state. These people fled to Mizoram fearing armed clashes between the ‘Tatmadaw’ (Myanmar Army) and the pro-democracy forces led by the Chin National Army.
The villagers claimed that the migrants also fear air strikes by their country’s air force. Meanwhile, opposition Mizo National Front (MNF) leader T.C. Pachunga said that despite repeated demands, the Centre has not yet provided any assistance to the Mizoram government to provide relief to refugees from Myanmar, Bangladesh and internally displaced people from Manipur.
Addressing a party meeting at the MNF office here, Pachunga said the central government should provide financial and other assistance to the state considering humanitarian aspects. He said the previous MNF government had on several occasions urged the central government to provide funds to take care of migrants from Myanmar, Bangladesh and Manipur.
According to government records, the total number of refugees who have come to Mizoram since February 2021 has reached around 36 thousand. Most of the refugees live in rented accommodation and the homes of their relatives or friends, while others are in 149 relief camps in seven districts of the state.
The Myanmar people taking refuge in Mizoram are mostly from the Chin community, who have ethnic, cultural and traditional ties with the Mizoramese. Six districts of Mizoram – Champhai, Siaha, Lawngtlai, Hnathial, Serchhip and Saitual – have a 510 km long unfenced border with Myanmar’s Chin state.
Tags: India Myanmar
FIRST PUBLISHED : May 25, 2024, 21:38 IST