Over 1,700 Myanmar refugees flood Mizoram

AIZAWL: Almost 1,700 refugees from Myanmar have entered and taken shelter in Mizoram following the attack on the Myanmar army camp at Lungler village by armed civilians called Chinland Defense Force (CDF), guided by the Chin National Army (CNA) cadres, opposite Thingsai village in Mizoram’s Hnahthial district early on Friday morning.
While a few refugees trickled in on Friday, the capture of the Myanmar military camp on Saturday night by the CDF/CNA triggered more influx of refugees who were afraid of reprisals from the Myanmar army under the command of the military council by using combat planes again.
Village Council President (VCP) of Thingsai village P.C. Remkunga said on Monday that over 723 refugees have arrived after the Lungler conflict in Thingsai village till Sunday night.
“Refugees numbering 255 (115 males and 140 females) which included 126 children and infants entered Thingsai village on Sunday alone by crossing the Mizoram-Myanmar border river Tiau by a steel suspension bridge between Bungkhua village (Myanmar) and Thingsai villages,” Remkunga said.
He predicted that more refugees were likely to enter the village during the next few days. The refugees were lodged at three buildings erected for the proposed border haat while many of them had to be content with makeshift huts erected with silpauline and bamboo, he said.