Champhai, July 17: Thousands of Myanmar refugees who had recently taken shelter in eastern Mizoram are now returning to their native villages, following a reported return to normalcy in the conflict-affected areas. Officials in Mizoram confirmed on Thursday that many of the displaced individuals have begun crossing back into Myanmar after armed groups reportedly withdrew from contested regions.

According to sources in Champhai district, approximately 4,653 refugees, including women and children, fled into Mizoram earlier this month to escape fierce gun battles between the Chin National Defence Force (CNDF) and the Chinland Defence Force (CDF)—both ethnic resistance groups opposing Myanmar’s military junta. The skirmishes, which took place between June 28 and July 5, had prompted mass displacement from villages like Khawmawi, Rihkhawdar, and Lianhna in Myanmar’s Chin State.

A senior Mizoram government official noted that following the CNDF’s withdrawal from several Myanmar villages near Zokhawthar, refugees began making their way home. Of the total 4,653 who entered Mizoram, 3,867 were accommodated in Zokhawthar, while 786 others took shelter in nearby villages like Vaphai and Saikhumphai. Around 500 individuals stayed in relief camps, while others were housed by local families.

Security along the 510-km unfenced India-Myanmar border remains tight, with the Assam Rifles actively monitoring to prevent drug smuggling, militant crossings, and illegal trade. Nonetheless, Indian forces have been allowing Myanmar nationals fleeing violence to enter Mizoram on humanitarian grounds.

The refugee population in Mizoram—largely consisting of the Chin tribes, who share strong ethnic and cultural ties with the Mizo people—has grown significantly since the Myanmar military coup of February 2021, now totaling around 35,000. They are currently dispersed across all 11 districts of the northeastern state.

Meanwhile, the Mizoram government recently decided to collect biometrics and biographic data of Myanmar refugees taking shelter in the northeastern state after a military coup in the neighbouring country in February 2021.

The process, expected to begin by the end of July, will be carried out using the Foreigner Identification Portal under the supervision of district Deputy Commissioners. The initiative, with a budget of Rs 38 lakh, will be funded by the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA).