Aizawl: Forty-two Myanmar army soldiers have surrendered to Mizoram police a day after the People’s Defence Force (PDF) rebels overrun two military bases at Rihkhawdar and Khawmawi in Chin State near Indian border state of Mizoram, police official said on Tuesday.
Over 5000 Chin refugees from the war-hit Chin State have also crossed over to Mizoram’s Champhai district following the intense gunfight between Myanmar army and PDF rebels, the armed wing of the National Unity Government.
“Forty Myanmar army soldiers had surrendered on Monday on Monday and another two of them surrendered on Tuesday morning to Mizoram police. They deposited their weapons and military to Mizoram police,” Inspector General of Police (Headquarters) of Mizoram Police, Lalbiakthanga Khiangte told The NEJournal over the phone.
“We handed over the surrendered Myanmar army to the Assam Rifles – which is mandated to man India-Myanmar border – to decide accordingly,” the police official said.
An Assam Rifles official said that they are waiting for the instructions from the central government to deal with surrendered Myanmar army soldiers.
However, a senior Indian intelligence official said that the Myanmar army soldiers will be repatriated to Myanmar.
Khiangte said over 5000 ethnic Chin people are taking refuge in Zokhawthar village after escaping from the bombings by Myanmar jet fighters and intense gunbattle between the Myanmar army and the PDF rebels.
He also informed that one Myanmar national succumbed to his injuries soon after he crossed over to Mizoram on Monday.
“About 20 have sustained injuries and eight of them have been shifted to (Mizoram’s capital) Aizawl for better medical treatment and the rest are being treated in Champhai medical centre,” the police official added.
With more and more people fleeing Chin state, Mizoram is providing shelter to around 32,000 men, women, and children from Myanmar after the Myanmar Army took governance in the neighbouring country in a military coup on February 1, 2021.
