An official in Mizoram said 276 Myanmar soldiers with their arms and ammunition reached Bandukbanga Village situated on the Mizoram-Myanmar-Bangladesh border trijunction, in southernmost Lawngtlai district on Wednesday afternoon.They are now being taken care of by the Assam Rifles at their Parva camp in Lawngtlai district.
He added, “Necessary formalities including collection of biometric details of the Myanmar military personnel are now being conducted. Necessary medical support was also given to the soldiers. After getting clearance from the appropriate higher authorities the Army men would be evacuated to their country.”
The number of soldiers who fled Myanmar since November 13 and reached India, has touched 636. Last year Indian Air Force (IAF) helicopters airlifted the soldiers to Moreh in Manipur and handed them over to the Myanmar Army authority.
On January 2 and 9, many Myanmarese soldiers were flown back home on a Myanmar military aircraft that came to Lengpui airport in Aizawl to take back the soldiers.
Former Mizoram government led by the Mizo National Front (MNF) had opposed the Centre’s order to deport Myanmarese refugees while allowing them to take shelter in the state. Following the ethnic clashes in Manipur and ahead of assembly polls in Mizoram, the Zo unification had become an electoral issue with the MNF raking up the demand for Greater Mizoram. Zo unification means bringing all ethnic communities — Mizos of Mizoram, Kuki-Zomis of Manipur, Chins of Myanmar and Bangladesh — under one administrative umbrella. The hilly area of Manipur, adjoining Mizoram, is inhabited by the Zo community who share the same culture, religion, tradition and ancestry.
Around 13,000 people from Kuki-Zo community have taken shelter in Mizoram following ethnic violence in Manipur. The majority of those who have reached Mizoram belong to the Chin community, also known as the Zo community, who share ancestry, ethnicity, and culture with the Mizos of Mizoram.
Manipur Chief Minister N. Biren Singh recently said that due to prevailing unrest in the neighbouring country around 6,000 people from Myanmar have taken shelter in his state in the recent past. Mizoram and Manipur share 518 km and 398 km unfenced borders with Myanmar, respectively.
The MHA had in April asked the Manipur and Mizoram governments to collect biographic and biometric data of “illegal migrants” in the two states and complete the process by September this year. Following the request of the Manipur government, the timeframe was later extended by a year. However, the Mizoram government decided not to carry out the process and instead took up the matter with the MHA but the Centre insisted on the process.
