Over 700 Myanmar nationals entered Mizoram in past few weeks
(Sourced from PTI)
Over 700 people from Myanmar, mostly civilians, have entered Mizoram in the past few weeks, a police officer said on Sunday. The new entrants include pregnant women, children, and senior citizens. Altogether 10,025 nationals of the neighboring country have so far sneaked into Mizoram following the military coup in Myanmar in February, he further added.
At least 22 members of the Myanmar parliament are among those who have taken refuge in the state, the police officer said. The Chief Minister of Myanmar's Chin state, Salai Lian Luai, had crossed over to Mizoram on June 14, he said. The officer said that a sizeable number of Myanmarese refugees have already returned to their country.
Quoting data of the state police, the officer said, 195 people from Myanmar have entered the Champhai district between June 15 and June 26. Of the 11 districts in Mizoram, the Myanmar nationals are living in ten, with the border district Champhai alone housing 4,352 people. As many as 1,621 people from Myanmar have taken shelter in a community housing complex in Aizawl.
Meanwhile, MC Lalramenga, President of Tuipuiral group of Young Mizo Association (YMA) in Champhai district said that two makeshift camps are being erected on the outskirts of Zawlsei village, about 20 km from the Myanmar border. The makeshift camps are being set up to provide shelter to Myanmarese on humanitarian grounds. A refugee camp will also be constructed at Farkawn and Vaphai villages.
There are 21 villages within the jurisdiction of the Tuipuiral group, which falls under the East Tuipui assembly constituency. Presently, 1,419 Myanmar nationals have taken shelter at 20 villages in the Tuipuiral area, according to Lalramenga. A sizeable number of Myanmar nationals are camping along the Tiau river as they have been prevented to enter the state due to the pandemic, the officer said.
