Since the Myanmar military coup on February 1, 2021, Chin State has been a focal point of resistance against the junta, led by groups like the Chin Defence Force (CDF), supported by the Chin National Army (CNA).
The region faced severe military reprisals, including airstrikes and ground assaults, prompting mass displacement.
A January 6-7, 2022, massacre in Matupi Township, where 10 civilians, including a 13-year-old boy and a journalist, were killed, triggered a fresh exodus, with over 2,000 people fleeing to Mizoram, India, since January 5, according to the Indian Express.
By July 2021, an estimated 15,000 had already crossed during earlier clashes, bringing the total to over 20,000 Chin refugees in Mizoram’s southern districts, including Champhai, Lunglei, and Lawngtlai.
Treacherous Journeys and Hardships
Refugees faced grueling journeys, often traversing forests without food or shelter. Man Chung, a refugee, told RFI he walked eight days with five family members to reach India, stating, “Getting away was so difficult and my family and I will return only if there is peace.”
Many arrived with only the clothes on their backs, living in makeshift camps with tinned roofs or plastic tarpaulins.
M C Lalramenga, president of the Young Mizo Association in Champhai, reported 50 new arrivals in January, including four with bomb-related injuries, one of whom died in an Aizawl hospital.
“Some of them don’t even have blankets and jackets,” he noted, highlighting the lack of basic necessities like food, water, and warmth.
Mizoram’s Humanitarian Response
Mizoram, sharing a 510-km unfenced border with Chin State, has hosted over 30,000 Myanmar refugees since the coup, driven by ethnic ties between the Mizo and Chin peoples, both part of the Zo ethnic group.
Local communities, NGOs, church groups, and the Young Mizo Association (YMA) formed “refugee caretaker committees” to provide food, shelter, and healthcare, despite limited resources.
The state government, led by Chief Minister Zoramthanga, defied India’s Home Ministry orders to block refugees, citing humanitarian and ethnic obligations.
Schools enrolled Chin children, and civil society raised funds, though many refugees suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder and long to return to their fields.
India’s Policy Dilemma
India, not a signatory to the 1951 UN Refugee Convention, has treated Myanmar refugees as a security issue, with policies shaped by geopolitics and concerns over smuggling.
The central government pushed for biometric registration and border control, but Mizoram’s government and locals resisted, prioritizing aid.
The suspension of the Free Movement Regime (FMR) in February 2024, reducing cross-border travel from 40 km to 10 km, aimed to curb unrest but had limited impact due to ethnic ties.
The UNHCR estimated 33,800 displaced in Chin State by January 2022, with over 15,000 in Manipur, highlighting the region’s broader crisis.
Recent Developments
By July 2025, an additional 4,000 refugees entered Mizoram’s Champhai district after clashes between rival anti-junta groups, the Chin National Defence Force (CNDF) and Chinland Defence Force-Hualngoram (CDF-H), starting July 2.
Around 2,923 returned to Myanmar by July 16 following a ceasefire, but over 32,000 remained in Mizoram, straining resources.
Local aid groups, like the YMA, provided shelter in community halls, while India began tentative talks with Myanmar’s resistance forces, signaling a potential policy shift.
Global and Regional Context
The refugee crisis unfolded amid global challenges, including Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which saw SWIFT sanctions and a ruble collapse, and the IPCC’s warning of climate impacts affecting 3.6 billion people.
In Myanmar, the junta’s violence, including airstrikes on civilian targets like a July 2025 monastery attack killing 23, fueled displacement.
Posts on X in 2025 highlighted Chin resistance efforts, with the Chin Human Rights Organization rebuilding health systems for 19,800 civilians.
Mizoram’s support reflects historical reciprocity, as Chin communities sheltered Mizos during the 1966-1986 insurgency.
