Chief Minister Lalduhoma stated on January 7 that the Mizoram government is committed to providing shelter to the displaced Chins from Myanmar and the Kuki-Zo communities from Manipur. The Chin and Kuki-Zo people share ethnic ties with the majority of Mizos in Mizoram, collectively forming the Zo group.
During discussions with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, and External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar in New Delhi last week, the Chief Minister addressed the "refugee" crisis and other pertinent issues. Lalduhoma emphasized that the Centre is prepared to collaborate with the Mizoram government to support the displaced individuals.
He noted that India, not being a signatory to the 1951 Refugee Convention and its 1967 Protocol, cannot confer refugee status on those displaced from Myanmar. Lalduhoma expressed hope that New Delhi would reconsider the proposed fencing of the 1,643 km India-Myanmar boundary, with 510 km bordering Mizoram.
The Zoram People’s Movement government, led by Lalduhoma, opposes the fencing, believing it would further segregate the Zo group already divided by inter-State and international boundaries. The Mizoram government claims to be currently providing shelter to around 31,000 Chin people who fled Myanmar's civil war and approximately 12,000 Kuki-Zo people escaping ethnic conflicts with the majority of Meiteis in Manipur. The turmoil in Myanmar ensued after a military coup in February 2021, while ethnic violence erupted in Manipur on May 3, 2023.
