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2,000 Myanmar Residents Flee to India Amidst Fierce Clashes in Chin State

Over the past 24 hours, more than 2,000 Myanmar citizens crossed into India via the Mizoram international border following airstrikes and intense conflict in Myanmar’s Chin state, as reported by Champhai district’s Deputy Commissioner, James Lalrinchhana, on Monday. The clashes erupted between Myanmar’s ruling junta-backed forces and the People’s Defence Force (PDF) militia, initiated by a PDF attack on military bases near the Indian border. Residents of Khawmawi, Rihkhawdar, and neighboring Chin villages sought refuge in Zokhawthar, Champhai district, due to the ongoing violence.

The PDF successfully seized control of the Rihkhawdar military base on Monday, with Khawmawi falling under their control later in the day. In response, the Myanmar military launched airstrikes on Khawmawi and Rihkhawdar villages. Seventeen injured individuals from the conflict were brought to Champhai for medical treatment. Tragically, a 51-year-old Myanmar civilian in Zokhawthar lost his life, allegedly hit by a stray bullet from across the border during the gunfight.

According to Zokhawthar Village Council President Lalmuanpuia, five Chin National Army (CNA) personnel, part of the PDF, were killed. Prior to the conflict, over 6,000 Myanmar residents, primarily from the Chin community, were already living in Zokhawthar. This incident adds to the ongoing influx of Myanmar nationals into Mizoram since February 2021, following the junta’s takeover, with 31,364 currently residing in various parts of the state, many in relief camps or with local relatives. The Myanmar refugees in Mizoram share ethnic ties with the Mizos, emphasizing the complexity of the situation.

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