News Analysis India

Tag: National League for Democracy

  • More than 5,600 Myanmar nationals, including 18 lawmakers, have taken refuge in Mizoram

    By PTI
    AIZAWL: More than 5,600 Myanmar nationals, including 18 lawmakers have so far sneaked into Mizoram since the military seized power in the neighbouring country in February, a police officer said on Friday.

    More than 100 refugees have returned to their country, the police officer told PTI on condition of anonymity.

    The United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) on Thursday had said that in Myanmar, as of last week, approximately 60,700 women, children and men have been internally displaced and that an estimated 4,000-6,000 of them had made their way to India.

    Quoting data with the Crime Investigation Department (CID) of state police, which dealt with Myanmar refugees, the official said that a total of 5,673 Myanmar nationals have taken refuge in Mizoram alone with the border district Champhai housing the most at 3,170.

    He said that at least 18 members of the Myanmar parliament belonging to the National League for Democracy (NLD) party are among those who have taken refuge in the state.

    He said that the actual figure could be more as some refugees have come in but have remained unrecorded.

    According to the officer, the Myanmar nationals are currently living in 9 districts, including the state capital Aizawl.

    Six Mizoram districts- Champhai, Siaha, Lawngtlai, Serchhip, Hnahthial and Saitual share a 510 km long international border with Myanmar.

    The southernmost Lawngtlai district is housing 887 Myanmar nationals, Siaha district- 633, Aizawl district- 419, Hnahthial district- 313, Saitual district- 112, Serchhip district 62, Lunglei district- 41 and Kolasib district, which borders Assam, has 36 refugges.

    The majority of Myanmar nationals are being provided food by local NGOs, while some are being sheltered by villagers.

    Meanwhile, state spokesperson on Covid-19 Dr Pachuau Lalmalsawma said that some Myanmar nationals have been found infected with Covid-19.

    He however, could not place a number on the number of refugees suffering from Covid-19.

    The official said that a 61-year-old woman from Myanmar, who died of Covid-19 on May 17, was not a refugee but a visitor, who came to see her relatives.

  • Myanmar coup: 14 lawmakers among 2,000 enter Mizoram to escape deadly junta

    Express News Service
    GUWAHATI: Fourteen lawmakers are among over 2,000 Myanmar nationals taking refuge in Mizoram after fleeing their coup-hit country.

    The lawmakers have been kept under tight security arrangements. Some are Members of Parliament while the remaining others are members of a lower House. People taking care of them said they are like MLAs in India.

    The Ministry of Home Affairs had earlier issued instructions to the Assam Rifles and four northeastern states such as Mizoram, Nagaland, Manipur and Arunachal Pradesh to thwart any possible influx of people from Myanmar. However, the migration of the people has continued, particularly to Mizoram.

    According to Mizo Zirlai Pawl (MZP), which is Mizoram’s apex students’ body, hundreds of Myanmar nationals are on the international border, waiting for opportunities to cross over.

    Six Mizoram districts such as Champhai, Siaha, Lawngtlai, Serchhip, Hnahthial and Saitual share 510 of the 1,643 km land border, which India shares with Myanmar. People from Myanmar’s Chin community and the Mizos in India belong to the Zo ethnic group and they share the same ancestry. The Chin people are settled in Myanmar’s Chin State, which shares a 404 km porous border with Mizoram.

    MZP president, VL Tana Bawihtlung said not all of the refugees were from the Zo community. He said many of them, including some lawmakers, belonged to other ethnic communities.

    “People are coming every day. Since they are not registered, neither by the government nor the Assam Rifles and intelligence agencies, it will be very difficult to say how many have arrived so far. More and more people might be coming. They are holed up in forests and looking for opportunities to cross over,” Bawihtlung said.

    He said the refugees also included pregnant women and children and they were lodged at the houses of their friends and relatives. Communities are taking care of those who do not have friends or relatives in Mizoram.

    “Communities are arranging their food and shelter. There are also some NGOs feeding them. These people are not just from the Chin State but different parts of Myanmar,” the MZP president said.

    Mizoram MP, C Lalrosanga said most of the fleeing Myanmar nationals were lodged in the Champhai district. Champhai District Magistrate Maria CT Zuali refused to talk on the subject, stating, “We are not allowed to talk to the media”.

    Mizoram Home Minister Lalchamliana and Chief Secretary Lalnunmawia Chuaungo did not take phone calls. Earlier, the state government had urged the Centre to view the influx of refugees as a humanitarian crisis and not to push them back.