India Myanmar: The Indian Foreign Ministry has responded to speculations about rebels taking control of the border with India after the attack by the rebel group People’s Defense Force (PDF) on two military bases in Myanmar’s Chin State.
External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said on Thursday (November 16), “We are concerned about such incidents near our border.” Our position on the current situation in Myanmar is very clear. We want the violence to end and the situation to be restored or the situation to be resolved through constructive dialogue.
India calls for return of peace, stability, and democracy in Myanmar
The spokesperson said, “We reiterate our call for peace, stability, and return of democracy in Myanmar… I think that from 2021 onwards, Myanmar citizens are taking refuge in India in large numbers. The local authorities in the concerned neighboring states are handling the situation appropriately on humanitarian grounds.
According to news agency PTI, earlier on Wednesday (November 15), a police officer had said that the situation on the India-Myanmar border is now calm as there is no clash between the Myanmar Army and the People’s Defense Force (PDF). He had said, “At present the situation is calm and we hope that the situation on the India-Myanmar border will become normal in the next two to three days.” It is difficult to predict what will happen next.
About 5000 people of Myanmar have taken refuge in Mizoram
Officials had said that about 5,000 people from Khwemawi, Rikhawdar, and neighboring villages of Myanmar’s Chin state fled and took shelter in Jokhawthar in Mizoram following the exchange of fire between the Myanmar Army and the PDF.
Champhai Deputy Commissioner James Lalrinchan said the firing began on Sunday (November 12) evening after the PDF attacked two military camps in Khwmawi and Rikhawdar in Chin state, close to the Indian border, and continued till Monday evening.
Mizoram shares a 510 km long international border with Myanmar. The northeastern state has hosted more than 31,000 refugees from Myanmar who fled a military coup in February 2021 before the recent clashes. The Myanmar citizens taking refuge in Mizoram belong to the Chin community. Chin and Mizo belong to the same ethnic group ‘Zo’.
