India News | Overall 30,401 People from Myanmar Take Refuge in Mizoram After Coup in Feb 2021

Aizawl, Sep 6 (PTI) Altogether 30,401 people from Myanmar have crossed the international border and taken refuge in Mizoram after the neighbouring country's military ousted the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi there in February last year, state home minister Lalchamliana informed the assembly on Tuesday.

Of the 30,401 Myanmar nationals, 29,253 are currently in shelters in the state as per reports submitted by district deputy commissioners to the home department on August 20, the minister said in a written reply.

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The government has completed the profiling of all the Myanmar people in the state, while identity cards and refugee certificates have been issued to 30,177 people. "Although profiling is more or less completed, it is a continuous process and conducted in a phased manner as there are still new entrants and some people used to return to their villages on a regular basis," he said. Lalchamliana said the state disaster management and rehabilitation department has so far disbursed Rs three crore as a relief to the refugees.

There has been a fresh influx of people from the neighbouring country in the state's southernmost Lawngtlai district in the wake of fierce clashes between the Myanmar Army and the Arakan Army (AA), an official said. Lawngtlai sub-divisional officer (Sadar) TT Beikhaizi said 589 more people from Myanmar entered the district in the last seven days, following the armed clashes on August 31 in the neighbouring country. Beikhaizi, who is also the district nodal officer of a task group on Myanmar refugees, said 5,909 people from the neighbouring country have so far taken refuge in Lawngtlai. Six Mizoram districts - Champhai, Siaha, Lawngtlai, Serchhip, Hnahthial and Saitual - share a 510 km-long international border with Myanmar's Chin state. The majority of the refugees live in relief camps, while others are accommodated by their local relatives and some others live in rented houses. Apart from the government, these Myanmar nationals are provided with food and other relief by NGOs, churches, student bodies and village authorities.

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(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)