Aizawl, August 27: Mizoram Home Minister K. Sapdanga on Wednesday informed the state assembly that more than 29,000 displaced Myanmar nationals are currently taking shelter across the state following the ongoing conflict in Myanmar after the 2021 military coup.
Replying to a question from ruling Zoram People’s Movement (ZPM) legislator V.L. Zaithanzama during the opening day of the monsoon session, Sapdanga said 29,046 Myanmar nationals had been recorded as of August 11. He added that district administrations have already started biometric enrolment of the displaced population.
The influx of refugees, mostly belonging to the Chin community, who share close ethnic ties with the Mizos, has been ongoing since the coup, forcing thousands to flee violence and instability in Myanmar. Refugees are now spread across all 11 districts of Mizoram, with Champhai district hosting the highest number—over 13,500 people.
On border security measures, Sapdanga said the Central government is working on plans to fence the 510-km-long Mizoram-Myanmar border in consultation with the state government, the Border Roads Organisation (BRO), and the Assam Rifles.
However, several civil society organisations and student bodies, including the Young Mizo Association (YMA), have strongly opposed the fencing plan, arguing it would sever age-old ties between communities living on both sides of the border.
