"We feared for our lives, hope we return soon to our country": Myanmar refugees in Mizoram recall horrors of airstrikes

By Hemanta Kumar Nath
Champhai (Mizoram) [India], November 18 : The refugees who fled from Myanmar to Mizoram's Champhai district after the recent airstrikes in their country recalled the horror and tragic incidents that unfolded afterwards and hoped to return to their native land one day.
Around 5000 Myanmar nationals fled from their country and are now taking shelter in the Zokhawthar area in Mizoram's Champhai district.
A 51-year-old woman named Zothangliani who is now a refugee in India along with her family at James refugee camp in the Zokhawthar was not expecting she would remain alive in the recent air strikes.
"On that day, my young child was playing volleyball and he immediately rushed home after hearing the sounds of bomb blasts. We didn't take evening food. We came out of our house immediately on that day evening and fled away towards Zokhawthar. What I had found, I took the household goods and crossed the border by travelling on a motorbike. We didn't sleep the entire night as we heard the sounds of bullets and bomb blasts. We also feared that our house was damaged," Zothangliani told ANI.
"We also saw that the bombs were dropped from a helicopter. I was scared to see that horrible situation. Even I was crying after witnessing the situation. We left away our other household goods, broiler chickens," she added.
Meanwhile, 54-year-old lady Vunglianzing, a resident of Chin State who is now taking shelter at James refugee camp in the Zokhawthar area said that she lost everything, but hoped that she would be able to go back to her village soon.
"My house was totally burnt down, damaged. We have lost everything. But we want to go back to my village as I have to construct a new house. Now we are staying here (Zokhawthar) in a peaceful environment, but we miss our own village. We are now waiting, for when we will go back and when God will open the path," Vunglianzing said.
22-year-old Lalriatfela, a resident of Tiau Khawmawi village under Chin State of Myanmar said that his family also lost everything and his house was damaged in the airstrike by the Myanmar army.
Following the airstrike by the Myanmar army, as many as 5000 Myanmar nationals crossed over the international border and entered the Zokhawthar area to take shelter and many of them have now returned to their country.
Around 5000 Myanmar nationals are now taking shelter in the Zokhawthar area of Mizoram's Champhai district as they fled from Myanmar and entered the Champhai district following a fresh airstrike by the Myanmar army in the bordering areas along the Indo-Myanmar border.
Among the 5,000 Myanmar refugees who are now taking shelter in six refugee camps in the Zokhawthar area in Mizoram's Champhai district, which is located along the Indo-Myanmar border, there are many women and children who are also living in makeshift tents in the camps.