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Journalism of Courage
A day after 274 Bangladesh nationals from the Kuki Chin Mizo community from the Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) of the neighbouring country turned up in Mizoram after fleeing conflict between the Bangladesh Army and the Kuki Chin National Army (KNA), officials said the district administration is taking care of all the refugees and they were provided with food and other necessary supplies. The KNA is an ethnic armed group of rebels.
Speaking to indianexpress.com, an official who didn’t wish to be named said, “Some people of the tribal communities entered India. Some villagers of the area (Indian side), who hail from similar communities, provided them accommodation. We are providing them humanitarian aid through NGOs, village committees, civil societies and the BSF, which is looking after their safety and security. The district administration is in talks with the state government, especially the home department. We are keeping a close eye on the situation.”
“There was no more influx Tuesday. The state government is looking into the matter. No refugee camps were specifically set up,” the official said. He added that while the local administration is waiting for a detailed report, there has been no further instruction on the issue from the Centre.
As per reports, 274 people, including 125 women and children, crossed the border and entered the Lawngtlai district in Mizoram Monday.
The official said the location where the refugees have temporarily been put up is almost 200 km away from the local headquarters. Mizoram already has several thousand conflict-induced refugees from Myanmar who sought refuge in the state after a military coup snatched power in February last year. According to the Mizoram government, over 30,000 Myanmar nationals are seeking refuge in the state.
