Kuki Chin refugees go without food in the jungles of Bangladesh, 11 more enter India, seek refuge in Mizoram

Since November 20, at least 304 Kuki Chins have taken shelter in Mizoram as fighting between joint forces of Arakan Army-Bangladesh Army and Kuki Chin National Army (KNA) intensifies

Kuki Chin refugees continue to flee Bangladesh and seek refuge in Mizoram, the state in northeast India along the India-Bangladesh-Myanmar border. At least 11 refugees from Chittagong Hill Tracts in south-east Bangladesh crossed over to India on Thursday night and sought shelter in Kamtuli village near the Mizoram-Bangladesh-Myanmar tri-junction, official sources said. As per official data, 304 Kuki Chins have taken shelter in the bordering villages of Mizoram since November 20, 2022.

Many more are waiting to cross over, the sources said. “The displaced people, mainly belonging to Bawm clans, have been waiting in the thick jungles for over 10 hours to enter the border,” sources said. The refugees which also includes children and women, are believed to have been surviving without food for days altogether.

People from the Kuki-Chin community, who are ethnically and culturally different from the majority Muslim population of Bangladesh, are fleeing Bangladesh to escape the fighting between the Bangladesh Army and the Kuki Chin National Army (KNA), an ethnic insurgent group in Bangladesh. According to the Mizoram home department, Since November 20, 2022, a total of 293 Kuki Chins have entered Mizoram’s Lawngtlai district bordering Bangladesh. The first batch of 272 refugees came in on November 20 after the fighting intensified in Cheihkhiang between the joint forces of Bangladesh Army and Arakan Army (AA) and KNA. On November 23, the Bangladesh Army attacked Baptlai, Sunsawng, Ruma and Theihkhiang villages. On November 26 night, 21 more Kuki Chins — 11 children and 10 adults reached Parva village in Lawngtlai district, about 21 km from the border. All the 293 refugees have been given shelter in a school, a community hall, an Anganwadi centre and a sub-centre at Parva.

Government of India had decided to extend help and shelter to the refugees coming in from Bangladesh on humanitarian ground. A meeting of the Mizoram Cabinet chaired by Chief Minister Zoramthanga on November 22, 2022, decided to provide temporary shelter, food and medicine to the refugees who have already crossed over.

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