Mizoram braces for Myanmar refugees after 3 policemen seek asylum following military coup

Mizoram shares a 510-km long border with Myanmar, which makes up part of the 1,640-km-long international border India shares with the country that is currently under military rule.

People hold up signs of Aung San Suu Kyi to protest the Myanmar Military coup outside of the Myanmar Embassy in Bangkok, Thailand | Photographer: Andre Malerba/AFP/Getty Images via Bloomberg

New Delhi: Three Myanmar police constables have sought refuge in Mizoram following last month’s military coup that overthrew the democratically elected government and detained civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi.

Sources in the Mizoram government confirmed to ThePrint a Reuters report that stated three men had crossed the border near North Vanlaiphai town in Mizoram Wednesday afternoon.

“Senior officials have spoken to the men … they confirmed that they have run away due to the military rule in their country,” a senior state government official said.

On 1 February, Myanmar’s military declared a state of emergency for a year and voided the landslide election victory of Aung San Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy (NLD) party.

“We are awaiting a detailed report on the three men. There is a standard operating procedure (SOP) for refugees seeking asylum. However, in this case, we have to wait for further instructions from the state home department,” the official added.

State officials also confirmed that the three men are being housed in Serchhip district’s community hall for now.

“As of now, the three men have been kept at the community hall. We are taking good care of them. They reached yesterday (Wednesday) … a Covid test as per protocol was conducted,” the source said.

“District authorities have been notified to ask village councils to identify and inform if any Myanmar nationals have entered and are seeking refuge,” the source added.

‘Gearing up for influx’

India shares a 1,640-km-long border with Myanmar, that stretches across Mizoram, Nagaland and Manipur. The extent of the border Mizoram shares is 510-km long.

According to sources in the state government, districts of Mizoram are gearing up for a possible influx of refugees fleeing Myanmar amid the emergency.

“Those living in border areas have been asked to pay special attention to Mynamese nationals entering the country,” a source said.

“We are preparing for a major influx — many could enter seeking refuge, fleeing their country over fear of prosecution. We can’t say much about how many are expected to enter … all preparations are being done in anticipation,” the source added.