A file image of refugees from Myanmar
Aizawl, May 17: A fresh wave of refugees fleeing conflict-ridden Myanmar has crossed into Mizoram's border areas, with local authorities and community organisations bracing for a possible larger influx amid reports of renewed military operations in western Chin state of the neighbouring country.
According to police sources, at least 822 Myanmar nationals entered Zokhawthar village in Champhai district between Tuesday and Wednesday after fears intensified over a possible advance by Myanmar junta troops towards areas bordering India.
Officials said that 811 refugees entered the Indo-Myanmar border trade point on Tuesday alone, while another 11 crossed over on Wednesday. The arrivals are in addition to hundreds of refugees who had already taken shelter in the border region.
Meanwhile, security personnel, including the police and the Assam Rifles, have begun biometric enrolment and documentation of the new arrivals. Local arrangements for shelter and humanitarian support are being coordinated by the Young Mizo Association (YMA), whose volunteers have been actively assisting the displaced families since the political crisis erupted in Myanmar in 2021.
Leaders of the local YMA unit said a majority of the refugees have moved in with relatives, friends and acquaintances in Zokhawthar and nearby villages, easing immediate pressure on temporary relief facilities.
Village council leaders from Zokhawthar said the latest arrivals largely com-prise elderly persons, women, and children.
"They fear that they may not be able to escape quickly if fighting reaches their villages," a village leader said over phone, adding that many families chose to cross into Mizoram before the security situation deteriorates further.
Local sources anticipate a much larger influx if the Myanmar military forces intensify their operations in western Chin state in the coming days. The concern follows the capture of Falam town by junta troops on April 25 after weeks of fighting with Chin resistance groups. Reports from across the border suggest that the military may now attempt to push towards strategically important areas near the Indo-Myanmar frontier.
Earlier this month, another batch of 151 refugees had entered Zokhawthar after a deadly airstrike by Myanmar military on Khawpuichhip village in Falam township. The strike reportedly killed seven civilians, including six children.
In a separate incident, 42 more refugees crossed into Saikhumphai hamlet in the southern parts of Champhai district following the violence.
Community leaders in Zokhawthar said the refugee population in the border village has now exceeded the number of permanent local residents. Since the military coup in Myanmar on February 1, 2021, thousands of Chin refugees have entered Mizoram through various border points seeking safety from armed conflict and military crackdowns.
Meanwhile, reports emerging from Rihkhawdar in Myanmar's Chin state located barely 5 km from the Tiau river that separates India and Myanmar - indicate that junta forces are keen on regaining control of the Rihkhawdar-Khawmawi trade corridor, considered one of the most economically significant sectors along the border.