The Crossbill News Desk
Over 3,000 Myanmarese refugees have crossed into Mizoram’s Champhai district over the past four days, fleeing intense armed clashes between two ethnic insurgent groups in Myanmar’s Chin State.
The influx, which began on July 3 and escalated on July 5 following heavy gunfire, has once again highlighted the ongoing civil unrest in Myanmar and its spillover impact on India’s northeastern border state.
According to a report from The Mizoram Post, the refugees—primarily from the border villages of Khawmawi, Rikhawdar, and Lianhna—sought shelter in Zokhawthar, a village in Champhai district located along the Indo-Myanmar border.
The fighting broke out between the Chin National Defence Force (CNDF) and the Rhineland Defence Force (CDF) of the Hualngo area, both anti-junta armed groups vying for territorial control in the region.
A local official stated that although the situation at the border has calmed following a ceasefire on July 6, refugees continued to cross over, with at least 30 more individuals arriving on Sunday. The Assam Rifles have sealed the border to prevent further escalation but have allowed unarmed civilians fleeing violence to enter on humanitarian grounds.
Mizoram is already home to over 32,000 refugees from Myanmar who have taken shelter in the state since the military coup in 2021 triggered widespread conflict and displacement.
Earlier this week, acting on directions from the Ministry of Home Affairs, the state government began collecting biometric data of all adult refugees, excluding children under five.
The latest conflict between the CNDF and CDF is believed to be driven by a struggle for control over Khawmawi—a key commercial hub and strategic transit point between India and Myanmar. Local community leaders confirmed that at least four injured fighters were brought to Mizoram for medical treatment.
In an effort to contain the violence, the Committee of Young Mizo Association (CYMA), Mizoram’s largest civil society group, has reportedly intervened to mediate a ceasefire between the two warring factions.
The influx, which began on July 3 and escalated on July 5 following heavy gunfire, has once again highlighted the ongoing civil unrest in Myanmar and its spillover impact on India’s northeastern border state.
According to a report from The Mizoram Post, the refugees—primarily from the border villages of Khawmawi, Rikhawdar, and Lianhna—sought shelter in Zokhawthar, a village in Champhai district located along the Indo-Myanmar border.
The fighting broke out between the Chin National Defence Force (CNDF) and the Rhineland Defence Force (CDF) of the Hualngo area, both anti-junta armed groups vying for territorial control in the region.
A local official stated that although the situation at the border has calmed following a ceasefire on July 6, refugees continued to cross over, with at least 30 more individuals arriving on Sunday. The Assam Rifles have sealed the border to prevent further escalation but have allowed unarmed civilians fleeing violence to enter on humanitarian grounds.
Mizoram is already home to over 32,000 refugees from Myanmar who have taken shelter in the state since the military coup in 2021 triggered widespread conflict and displacement.
Earlier this week, acting on directions from the Ministry of Home Affairs, the state government began collecting biometric data of all adult refugees, excluding children under five.
The latest conflict between the CNDF and CDF is believed to be driven by a struggle for control over Khawmawi—a key commercial hub and strategic transit point between India and Myanmar. Local community leaders confirmed that at least four injured fighters were brought to Mizoram for medical treatment.
In an effort to contain the violence, the Committee of Young Mizo Association (CYMA), Mizoram’s largest civil society group, has reportedly intervened to mediate a ceasefire between the two warring factions.
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