Locals, refugees and simmering strife

Since Myanmar’s military coup in 2021, over 40,000 Chin refugees have crossed over to Mizoram.

On January 24, four refugees from Myanmar allegedly killed an auto-rickshaw driver in Mizoram’s Siaha district after a monetary dispute. Three of the accused were arrested. On April 3, a refugee from Myanmar allegedly assaulted a village council vice president in Vengthar.

On April 8, the Central Young Mizo Association, Mizoram’s most influential civil body, urged the state government to adopt a comprehensive framework for refugee management. (HT Photo)

The two are among several instances that suggest all is not well between local Mizos and Chin refugees from war-torn Myanmar who have made a home in the northeastern state over the past four years. Both share ethnicity,