CHAMPHAI: Myanmar nationals who fled from their country following the recent airstrike by the Myanmar army in the bordering areas of Myanmar are now taking shelter in the Zokhawthar area in the Champhai district of Mizoram.
Despite losing everything, the people of Sekan village who are taking refuge in India are hopeful to return to their native country.
Around 500 people from Sekan village crossed over the border and entered the Zokhawthar area, which is the nearest village in Champhai district and shares an unfenced border with Myanmar.
According to the villagers of Sekan village, almost all houses in the village were burnt down by the Myanmar army and they lost everything.
Most of the villagers are marginal farmers and some are construction workers. They have been living in different refugee camps in the Zokhawthar area since September 2021.
Following the recent airstrike by the Myanmar army in the bordering areas of Myanmar, the refugees are now afraid to go back to their own country.
Lalremruati, a mother of a 3-month-old child and resident of Sekan village of Chin State, who is now living with her family members at a refugee camp in Zokhawthar, said that she was in China when the military coup happened in her own country.
"My family had faced so many problems. The military came to our village and went one by one, knocked on the doors and asked them to come out. Some people were very scared. The military broke out the doors and let them come out. At that time was very bad. Last year, the military burned down the houses. The second time, they also burnt many houses in our village. Our village is almost finished. We have lost everything," Lalremruati said.
She further said that, in Zokhawthar, the people of Mizoram, YMA, NGOs are taking care of the refugees.
"They are helping us to stay here. They are providing us with food. Many people in our village are now residing in the Zokhawthar area and some people are living in other parts of Champhai district. We want to go back to our own village. But, there is nothing. People are crying. We have lost everything, we have lost our house. We fear..... we are very sad. All the people cry inside the camps. We have no future anymore. We can't work here. People of other villages also faced similar problems. Our village was badly affected," Lalremruati said.
Vanhningcer, another refugee of Sekan village and a mother of two child said that, the present situation in Myanmar is very bad.
"My home was also burnt down. In this situation, we can't go back to our village. Many people died, there was no work for us and we hadn't money, so we came to India. We want to go back, but can't, because my village is no more. We had lost everything, we have no home to live in," Vanhningcer said.
Hrangnothanga, a villager of Sekon village who is now residing along with his family at a refugee camp in the Zokhawthar area, said that he also lost everything and now he is thinking about the future of his children and his family.