Some 150 people from Myanmar’s Chin State have crossed over to Mizoram in the past few days following airstrikes by the military.
This has triggered worries about another phase of the influx of Myanmar nationals in Mizoram, which began enrolling some 400 refugee children more than a week ago.
The Myanmar military offensive is believed to be the response to the call for a nationwide uprising by the country’s National Unity Government in exile.
“I received a report yesterday [Friday] about the bombing from a villager, who lives near the Mizoram-Myanmar border. He told me the border residents saw Myanmar fighter jets bombing a Burmese village called Lungler,” Mizoram’s Home Minister Lalchamliana said on Saturday.
He said more refugees would pour into Mizoram if the air strikes and other military action continue.
Six districts — Champhai, Siaha, Lawngtlai, Serchhip, Hnahthial and Saitual — share a 510-km long porous border with Myanmar.
Officials said an estimated 10,000 refugees have already sought shelter in four of these districts since March. The refugees are lodged in community and public halls and school buildings.
“Local villagers are providing shelter to the refugees and taking care of their daily needs. It is a humanitarian crisis and it is our duty to help them,” Mr. Lalchamliana said.
The Mizos and Myanmarese share deep cultural bonds that go beyond the citizen-refugee divide
The State government thinks the refugees will return to Myanmar when the situation improves.
The Chin community and the Mizos belong to the Zo ethnic group, sharing the same ancestry.
