1. Over 200 refugees from Myanmar’s Chin state and Bangladesh’s Chittagong Hill Tracts entered Mizoram’s Lawngtlai district.
2. Around 127 individuals from the Bawm tribe arrived at Chamdur ‘P’ village from Bangladesh last week.
3. The influx raises the total number of Bangladeshi refugees in Mizoram to 1,368.
Aizawl, May 14: More than 200 refugees from Myanmar’s Chin state and Bangladesh’s Chittagong Hill Tracts have entered the southern Mizoram Lawngtlai district, bordering Bangladesh and Myanmar, according to an official statement.
Last week, approximately 127 individuals from the Bawm tribe, one of the ethnic Mizo tribes, arrived at Chamdur ‘P’ village in Lawngtlai district from Bangladesh. This influx raises the total number of Bangladeshi refugees taking shelter in Mizoram to 1,368.
Meanwhile, around 1,241 Kuki-Chin people from Bangladesh’s Chittagong Hill Tracts had previously sought refuge in Lawngtlai district.
Their displacement began in November 2022 due to a military offensive by the Bangladeshi army against the Kuki-Chin National Army (KNA), an ethnic insurgent group advocating for a separate state.
Additionally, approximately 95 refugees from Myanmar’s Chin state fled to Lawngtlai and Khawzawl districts between April 30 and the first week of May.
These individuals reportedly feared forced conscription by the Arakan Army militant group, the largest ethnic armed organization in Myanmar.
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Local district administrations are mobilizing immediate relief and humanitarian aid for the newly arrived refugees.
As per the state home department, as of May 4, a total of 34,346 Myanmar nationals, including 13,302 children, have sought refuge in Mizoram across all 11 districts.
Of these, 21,044 are adults, comprising 10,097 males and 10,947 females. While 17,901 Myanmar refugees have found shelter outside relief camps by staying with relatives, friends, or renting houses, 16,445 individuals reside in 149 relief camps across seven districts.
Champhai district in East Mizoram hosts the highest number of Myanmar refugees at 14,499, followed by Siaha district in south Mizoram (6,044) and Lawngtlai district (5,922).
Refugees from Myanmar’s Chin state have been seeking asylum in Mizoram since February 2021 following the military junta’s seizure of power in Myanmar.
In addition to refugees from Myanmar and Bangladesh, over 8,000 Kuki communities from Manipur have also taken shelter in various parts of Mizoram due to ethnic violence in the neighboring state since May last year.
The Chins, Kukis, and Kuki-Chin people share ethnic ties with the Mizos. Chief Minister Lalduhoma has reiterated his government’s commitment to providing relief to Myanmar and Bangladeshi refugees, as well as internally displaced people from Manipur, on humanitarian grounds.
