Guwahati: Mizoram has reportedly witnessed a rise in refugees fleeing violence in neighbouring Bangladesh and Myanmar.
This week alone, 127 Bangladeshi nationals of Kuki-Chin origin arrived in the state, escaping a Bangladeshi military offensive against the Kuki-Chin National Army (KNA), a rebel group seeking a separate state.
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The KNA, formed in 2017, is comprised largely of the Bawm tribe, which shares a kinship with the Mizos of Mizoram.
The refugees entered Chamdur ‘P’ village in the Lawngtlai district, bordering Bangladesh.
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This brings the total number of refugees from Bangladesh’s Chittagong Hills Tracts (CHT) to 1,368 since November 2022.
Additionally, around 95 people from Myanmar’s Chin state have sought refuge in Mizoram’s Lawngtlai and Khawzawl districts between late April and early May.
They are fleeing forced conscription by the Arakan Army, an ethnic armed group fighting Myanmar’s military junta.
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The Mizoram government has assured immediate aid and humanitarian assistance to all refugees.
There are currently over 34,000 refugees from Myanmar residing across the state, escaping clashes between Myanmar’s military and rebel forces. Over half (17,901) are staying with relatives or renting houses, while the remaining 16,445 are in relief camps set up in seven districts.