OVER 400 MYANMAR REFUGEES STILL IN MIZORAM

Over 400 refugees from neighbouring Myanmar’s Arakan (Rakhine) state are still in Mizoram’s Lawngtlai district, about 280 kilometres south of the state capital, after fleeing armed clashes between Myanmar Army and the Arakan Army (AA) in November last year. Initially, about 1750 Myanmarese refugees, mostly Buddhists entered Mizoram by crossing the international border in November last year. As of now there are 488 people at Hmawngbuchhua village in Lawngtlai district on the Indo-Myanmar border.

The state government provided relief aid and makeshift shelter made of bamboo and thatch to the refugees, while civil organisations also distributed relief including food and clothing to the displaced people. Assam Rifles deployed at the border area also provided relief aids to the displaced people in the form of conducting medical camps and distributing solar lights and rations. Medical teams comprising of senior doctors were also sent to the relief camps to inspect the health condition of the displaced people. So far, the state government had spent over Rs. 8.28 lakh as relief measures for the refugees.

The refugees, who arrived in Mizoram are mostly Buddhist belonging to Zakhai tribe from Rakhine state of Myanmar near Indian border. They fled their villages and crossed the Indian border on November 25 last year following the crackdown on AA militants launched by Myanmar Army. Initially they were lodged at four villages in Lawngtlai district-Hmawngbuchhua, Zochachhua, Laitlang and Dumzautlang. Later, they were grouped and shifted to Hmawngbuchhua village in the Bumthlang subdivision for administrative convenience.

The repatriation process planned in last week of December last year had to be stalled after the refugees refused to return to their respective villages for fear of armed confrontation being renewed again between the Myanmar Army and AA militants even though Assam Rifles and Myanmar Army assured them that the fighting had already died down.

In January, chief minister Lal Thanhawla had sought relief from the Central government for the Myanmar nationals who had taken refuge in Mizoram. He had also asked the Centre to tighten security along the border with Myanmar as the state could face threats from the armed conflict between the Myanmar army and militants in Rakhine state.