The first batch of refugees entered Lavangtalai district on 20 November. People from the Kuki-Chin community are fleeing their homes and coming to Mizoram following an armed conflict between the Bangladesh Army and an ethnic insurgent group, the Kuki-Chin National Army (KNA).
Image Credit source: Social media
The number of Kuki-Chin tribal refugees fleeing violence in Bangladesh’s ‘Chittagong Hill Tract’ to Mizoram has increased to close to 300. A local leader having knowledge of this matter gave this information. Gospel Hamangaihjuala, president of the local refugee organizing committee, said 21 Kuki-Chin refugees crossed the border from Bangladesh’s Chittagong Hill Tract (CHT) late on Friday night. The organizing committee was recently formed by the village authorities and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) of Parwa village in Lawangtalai district in view of the Kuki-Chin refugees who came to Mizoram due to the alleged violence in the CHT.
The Kuki-Chin tribe is spread over the hilly areas of Bangladesh, Mizoram and Myanmar. Gospel said that soon after the 21 refugees crossed the border, the Border Security Force (BSF) brought them to Parwa village, about 21 km from the border village. He told that at present a total of 294 people from Bangladesh have taken shelter in a school, a community hall, an Anganwadi center and a sub-centre in Parwa. Parwa Village Council President Gospel told that the Kuki-Chin refugees are being provided food, clothes and other relief materials by the NGO.
The first batch was admitted on 20 November
He told that the first batch of refugees had entered Lavangtalai district on 20 November. People from the Kuki-Chin community are fleeing their homes and coming to Mizoram following an armed conflict between the Bangladesh Army and an ethnic insurgent group, the Kuki-Chin National Army (KNA). State government officials have not made any comment in this matter. Earlier, the Mizoram cabinet on Tuesday expressed sympathy towards the Kuki-Chin refugees and decided to provide them temporary shelter, food and other basic amenities. The ‘Central Young Mizoram Association’ has also decided to provide humanitarian aid to the ethnic Mizo refugees.
This association is a big social organization in Mizoram, which has about five lakh members within and outside the state. The Kuki-Chin community in Bangladesh shares ethnic ties with the Mizo people in Mizoram and many of them have relatives in the state. In Mizoram all ethnic ‘Zo’ people are known as ‘Mizo’, while in Myanmar they are called ‘Chin’ or ‘Zomi’ or ‘Lamy’ and in Manipur they are known as Kuki.
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(with agency inputs)
: Language Inputs
