Aizawl: On Friday, approximately 151 soldiers from Myanmar, known as the 'Tatmadaw,' crossed the international border and entered the Indian state of Mizoram. Surrendering before the central paramilitary force, the Assam Rifles, in Tuisentlang village, Lawngtlai district of Mizoram, this development occurred against the backdrop of ongoing clashes between armed resistance groups and the Myanmar military.
These soldiers fled with their weapons from Paletwa town in the Chin State of Myanmar after their camps were overrun by the People’s Defense Force (PDF), an armed resistance group.
According to reports, more soldiers from the Myanmar army are expected to reach the bordering Indian state. Lawngtlai police confirmed that Assam Rifles have initiated the repatriation process for the 151 soldiers. They have been taken to Parva village in Mizoram and will later be transported to Moreh in Manipur before being handed over to the Myanmar junta.
This incident follows a previous influx of soldiers, with 45 members of the Tatmadaw arriving in Mizoram on November 13, 2023, another group of 29 soldiers reaching Saikhumphai village on November 16, and an additional 30 soldiers crossing the border on November 29, 2023. The total number of soldiers crossing the international border since November 13 this year has now reached 255.
It is worth noting that the Myanmar military has been losing ground to the People’s Defense Force (PDF) in the country’s Chin State since 2022. In February 2021, the military junta seized power, toppling the civilian government of Aung San Suu Kyi, and has since been engaged in conflict with various ethnic armed groups and pro-democracy fighters.
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