Renewed clashes between armed groups in Myanmar's Chin State have forced approximately 300 more refugees to seek shelter in Mizoram, India. The refugees have crossed into Zokhawthar village in the Champhai district of Mizoram. The recent influx is a result of intensified fighting between the Chinland Defence Force-Hualngoram (CDF-Hualngoram) and the Chin National Defence Force (CNDF) in the Rihkhawdar and Khawmawi villages, located near the Indo-Myanmar border.
The conflict reportedly began on July 2 and is centered around territorial disputes in the Falam township. The CDF-Hualngoram, aligned with the Chinland Council, accuses the CNDF, which is part of the Chin Brotherhood alliance, of encroaching on its controlled area and launching drone strikes on villages. The CNDF, however, alleges that their outposts were surrounded and attacked in Tuichir on July 2. Tensions have been escalating in recent weeks among Chin factions vying for control over strategic areas near the Indian frontier.
The fighting on Saturday, July 5, 2025, occurred between 8:45 a.m. and 2:30 p.m., forcing civilians to flee. One cadre of the CDF-Hualngoram was reportedly killed during the fighting. Bullets struck homes on higher ground in Zokhawthar and even shattered a car window, though no local residents were harmed. A refugee from Tahan in the Sagaing region drowned in the Tiau River while attempting to flee the violence. At least six fighters, four from the CDF-Hualngoram and two from the CNDF, were wounded in the clashes and taken to Zokhawthar for medical attention.
In response to the conflict, the Assam Rifles have closed the Indo-Myanmar border gate at Zokhawthar, citing security concerns. This has disrupted daily life for Myanmar nationals residing on both sides of the border, including students enrolled in schools in Zokhawthar and patients needing medical care in Mizoram.
As of July 4, at least 245 individuals, including women and children, had already sought refuge in Mizoram through the Zokhawthar border crossing. Local communities have been offering temporary shelter and assistance. Authorities have relaxed enforcement of entry pass requirements due to the humanitarian crisis but have urged refugees to complete registration promptly. 161 refugees have received the required entry documentation, with the remaining 84 expected to follow suit.
Mizoram is currently sheltering over 32,000 Myanmar refugees. These refugees mostly fled Chin State following the military coup in February 2021. Additionally, Mizoram is also providing shelter to 2,371 Bangladeshi nationals from the Chittagong Hill Tracts and 7,354 Zo ethnic people from Manipur who were displaced by ethnic violence since May 2023. The refugees from Myanmar, Bangladesh, and Manipur largely belong to the Kuki-Zo-Chin-Hmar-Bawm tribal communities, who share close ethnic, cultural, and linguistic ties with the Mizo people of Mizoram.
Mizoram is set to begin biometric enrollment of the Myanmar refugees for identification purposes. The collection of biometric and demographic data will take place across all eleven districts within this month.
