18,717 Myanmar refugees taking shelter in Mizoram: Census

12,516 refugees are present in Champhai district while 6,201 in Zokhawthar village

About 18,717 people from neighbouring Myanmar are seeking refuge in Mizoram, due to the unabated clashes in the country.

According to the census carried out by the district-level committee in Champhai and the village-level committee in Zokhawthar village regarding Myanmar refugees in these two locations — 12,516 refugees are present in Champhai district while 6,201 are in Zokhawthar village.

Of the 6,201 refugees in Zokhawthar, 3,290, including 992 women and 1,322 children, are in relief camps, while 2,911 people, including 966 women and 1,060 children, are staying with their family or friends.
Zokhawthar has an estimated population of approximately 2,630 (according to 2011 Census).

About 5,000 people crossed into India on November 12 and 13 from the Myanmar villages of Khawmawi and Rihkhawdar.

About 4,000 of the 5,000 refugees went back to their respective villages in Myanmar, while the other 1,012, which included 312 women and 416 children, stayed in Zokhawthar village.

The state home department had previously issued instructions for the conduct of a census of the people crossing over the border, in light of the rising number of refugees entering the state from the neighbouring country due to frequent clashes between guerrillas from the Chin National Army (CNA) and the Chin Defence Force (CDF) combined with the Myanmar military.

Zokhawthar village council president Lalmuanpuia said that several people who have returned to Khawmawi continued to spend the nights on the Indian side due to fear of aerial attacks.

19 people fled Lialaiki village in the state of Chin and entered Laki village in the Siaha district of Mizoram on November 21.

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