Nagaland minister says state has become a refuge for Nagas fleeing Myanmar

Nagaland, one of the four states in the northeast that share borders with Myanmar, has become a refuge for Myanmar’s Nagas, said state minister Neiba Kronu

People from Myanmar have continued to seek refuge in India since the military in the neighbouring country seized power in a coup in February and sought to clamp down on resistance. Nagaland, one of the four states in the northeast that share borders with Myanmar, has become a refuge for Myanmar’s Nagas, said state minister Neiba Kronu.

A soldier stand next to military vehicles as people gather to protest against a military coup in Yangon, Myanmar. The Indian state of Nagaland says it has become a refuge for Nagas fleeing coup-hit Myanmar. (REUTERS/File)

Naga people in Myanmar are mostly from the Sagaing region and Kachin state.

Kronu said an assessment on how many refugees have crossed over to Nagaland from Myanmar is underway. Most of them entered Mon district, he said. Three more Nagaland districts share borders with Myanmar.

Kronu said these are “our own (Naga) people” and added that civil society and church organisations were extending aid to them on humanitarian grounds.

“We are yet to ascertain the exact number of people who have come into the state. We shall soon take a decision on this,” Kronu said.

Since March, around 13,000 refugees, mostly from Chin state, have entered Mizoram for refuge.