Gunfights between rival groups prompt fresh influx of around 300 Myanmarese nationals
Aizawl, July 5: A fresh influx of around 300 Myanmarese people was reported from Mizoram’s Champhai district on Saturday after a fierce gunfight broke out between two warring outfits in the neighbouring country, officials said.
Gunfights reportedly took place between two pro-democratic forces, Chin National Defence Force (CNDF) and Chinland Defence Force (CDF)-Hualngoram, at Khawmawi, forcing locals to flee to Zokhawthar village in Champhai.
Khawmawi in Myanmar and Zokhawthar in in Mizoram’s Champhai district are separated by Tiau river.
The Myanmarese refugees crossed into Zokhawthar following the fresh clashes between armed groups in Myanmar’s Chin State.
In response to the situation, the Assam Rifles sealed the Indo-Myanmar gate at Zokhawthar to control the influx.
The CNDF and CDF operate in the Chin state, and cadres of the two groups belong to the same Zo ethnic tribes. The two outfits have been fighting over the last few days over control of the area, they said.
A leader of the Young Mizo Association (YMA) in Zokhawthar said the gunfight has created tension in the border village.
He said the YMA has urged both groups not to point their arms towards Zokhawthar, as bullets have hit some houses in the village.
However, no casualties have been reported so far in the border village, he said.
One person drowned in the Tiau river while fleeing to India, and YMA volunteers were searching for him, he added.
A senior official confirmed that 33,004 Myanmar nationals, including 12,572 children, are currently taking shelter across 11 districts of Mizoram. These individuals are accommodated in relief camps, government buildings, and rented houses.
In addition to Myanmar nationals, around 7,800 Kuki-Zo refugees from Manipur—who fled following ethnic violence in May last year—are also being housed in various districts of the state. (Agencies)
