Refugee influx continues: 34,332 Myanmarese taking shelter in Mizoram

AIZAWL: Officials in Mizoram reported the arrival of approximately 50 additional refugees from Myanmar, bringing the total number of Myanmarese seeking shelter in the Northeast state to 34,332, as disclosed on Monday (May 06).

According to a government official in Mizoram, the recent arrivals, including 10 women, fled Paletwa in Myanmar's Chin region and sought refuge in Hruitezawl village in Mizoram's Lawngtlai district over the past few days to avoid forced recruitment into the ranks of the Arakan Army (AA) militant group.

Originating from Rakhine in Myanmar, the Arakan Army stands as the largest armed ethnic faction in the country, actively recruiting individuals from the Chin region to bolster their resistance against the national military.

“Young individuals in Myanmar who resist compulsory recruitment by the Arakan Army are seeking sanctuary in Mizoram,” stated the official.

Before this recent influx, 34,282 Myanmarese migrants had sought refuge in Mizoram's 11 districts in stages following the military coup in Myanmar on February 1, 2021.

Presently, a total of 34,332 Myanmarese nationals, including 10,900 women and 13,310 children, are residing in relief camps in Mizoram, while others are lodging with relatives or renting accommodations.

In addition to the Myanmarese refugees, approximately 10,000 individuals, comprising men, women, and children, found refuge in Mizoram after ethnic violence erupted in neighbouring Manipur in May of the previous year.

Additionally, 1167 individuals from the Chittagong Hill tracts in Bangladesh have sought shelter in Mizoram since 2022.

The Kuki-Zomi-Chin communities in Myanmar, Bangladesh, and Manipur share ethnic affinities, as well as cultural and linguistic ties with the Mizo populace.