More refugees pour into Mizoram as Myanmar army raids Chin forces

Azul: People from Myanmar’s Chen state are entering Mizoram after a series of clashes between the Myanmar army and the Chen National Defense Force (CNDF), police said on Sunday.

Official records on Sunday show that about 26,663 Myanmar citizens are currently seeking refuge in various parts of the state.

Mizoram shares a 510 km long international border with Myanmar.

Mizoram’s six districts – Champhai, Siaha, Lawngtlai, Serchhip, Hnahthial and Saitual, which share a border with neighboring countries – are home to a total of 22,098 Myanmar refugees, with Champhai having the highest number of 7,810. And then the number of Siaha district is 6,614.

It says Myanmar’s refugees are spread across 11 districts, with 1,916 living in Azul district alone.

Meanwhile, the Myanmar army raided the Chen National Defense Force (CNDF) hideout in Khawmawi village on the other side of the border near the village of Zukhawathar in Mizoram’s Champai district early Saturday.

He said the president of Zokhawthar village council, Lalmwanpoya, said the Myanmar army had launched a surprise attack on members of the CNDF, who were camping at an immigration checkpoint near the Tuivai Bridge at around 4am on Saturday.

He said one member of the CNDF was wounded in the shootout, while two others were captured by the Myanmar army.

Zokhawthar and Khawmawi are divided by the Tuivai River, which flows along the Indo-Myanmar border.

According to Lalmuanpuia, almost the entire village of Khawmawiin Myanmar, with a population of about 6,000, has already fled to Zokhawthar in Mizoram.

He said that more than 10,000 Myanmar nationals are now taking refuge in Zokhawthar , along with refugees from neighboring Khawmawi villages.