Mizoram: Champhai DC Says Reports Of Fresh Influx Of Myanmar Nationals Baseless And False

The remark by Champhai Deputy Commissioner comes amid reports that over 820-odd Myanmarese nationals have entered India after fleeing their nation following recent airstrikes.

Cops patrol the border area near Mizoram

Guwahati: A senior official said on Wednesday the reports of fresh influx of Myanmar nationals into neighbouring India was baseless and false. The statement by Champhai Deputy Commissioner James Lalrinchhana comes amid reports that over 820-odd Myanmarese nationals have entered India after fleeing their nation following recent airstrikes.

A recent air strike by Myanmar military near a remote township in Sagaing region is reported to have killed 165 people, including women and children. 

"I have talked to all the authorities all over the district but there have been no reports of any fresh influx of Myanmarese nationals into India through Champhai. These reports are purely false and have no relevance. Not a single Myanmarese refugee has crossed over to India through my district border," Lalrinchhana told ABP Live.

Reports have said around 820 new refugees have taken refuge in Mizoram's Farkawn hamlet following the escalation in war in the neighbouring country. Around 30 refugees are also believed to have entered the Vaphai area from Myanmar's Chin state.

The Champhai Deputy Commissioner, however, said they have around 1,812 Myanmar refugees in the district. He said these people from Halkha, Thantlang, Tlangpui, Farrawn and Tlanglo areas of Myanmar have been staying in Assam for a long time.

Lalrinchhana, however, dismissed reports that frequent ambush by the Chin Defense Force and retaliation by the Junta through firing and bombardment on settlements have led to the people fleeing to India in fear of losing their lives.  

In September 2022, over 30,401 people from Myanmar had crossed over the international border and taken refuge in India's northeastern state of Mizoram after the country's military ousted the elected government in February 2021.

Of these 30,401 Myanmar nationals, as many as 29,253 used to stay in the hill state.

The Assam government has also completed profiling all the Myanmar nationals living in Mizoram while refugee certificates and identity cards have been issued to a total of 30,177 people living in the state.

An amount of Rs 3 crore have been disbursed by the Mizoram state disaster management and rehabilitation department as a relief to these refugees.

While a majority of these refugees used to live in relief camps set up by the Mizoram government, others were given shelter by their local relatives, with a few others living in rented accommodations.

Apart from the government, these refugees were provided with food and other essentials by churches, student bodies, village authorities and NGOs.