Refugees now reach south Mizoram

Fresh air strikes by the Myanmar's military forces against anti-Junta rebels are leading to the influx of more refugees into India - now on the southern side of Mizoram from the porous international border - according to officials in the state aware of the matter.

- Prawesh Lama

The civil administration said on Wednesday evening that it has recorded at least 90 new Myanmar nationals who crossed over to Mizoram's Laki and Kakichua areas over the last two days after their villages were bombed by the Myanmar military in the Lailenpi area across the border.

Myanmar nationals are allowed to cross the 496.5km porous border with Mizoram, and travel up to 16km within the state under the Free Movement Regime. While new refugees were streaming into north Mizoram since the fighting between the ruling Junta and the rebel forces intensified in Myanmar on October 27, this is the first time in the past two weeks that the southern district of Saiha received refugees.