Aizawl: At least 83 Myanmar army personnel entered Mizoram-Myanmar border Tuisentlang village in southernmost Mizoram’s Lawngtlai district on Friday with the intention to surrender to the Assam Rifles officials at nearby Parva village, a senior state police official said.
The official said that the Myanmar army personnel, also known as the ‘Tatmadaw’, entered Mizoram’s Lawngtlai district with arms after fleeing their camp across the international border.
Based on a preliminary enquiry conducted by the state police, the Myanmar army base near Parva was captured on Thursday by the Myanmar People’s Army, popularly known as the People’s Defence Force (PDF) or Chin Defence Force (CDF) in this particular area, and the Chin National Army (CNA) combine.
The 83 Myanmar army personnel have fled their camp, crossed international border at pillars 2 and 4, and reached Tuisentlang village, while more Tatmadaw members are likely to reach the border village.
Lawngtlai district police officials have informed the Assam Rifles authorities at Parva village, and the Assam Rifles have initiated the repatriation process. The surrendered Myanmar army personnel have been brought to Parva, and the state police personnel have been working in close coordination with the Assam Rifles in the border areas.
With the entry of 83 Myanmar army personnel on Friday, the number of Tatmadaw members to cross the 404-km Mizoram-Myanmar international border to surrender to the Indian authorities since November 13 rose to 187.
Camps after camps of the Tatmadaw fell to the local resistance militia and CNA combined forces in Chin state of Myanmar adjoining Mizoram since 2022 as the National Unity Government of Myanmar in exile called for the overthrow of the military junta by using force, which staged a military coup on February 1, 2021.
Police officials said that the 83 Myanmar soldiers are likely to be airlifted from Parva to Moreh in Manipur, as it had been done earlier and handed over to the authorities of the Myanmar junta soon.
In the first instance, 45 Myanmar soldiers who fled their camps at Rihkhawdar and Khawmawi villages, just across the Zokhawthar Indo-Myanmar border trade centre in Champhai district, fled to Mizoram on November 13 and were airlifted from nearby Hnahlan village on the next day.
Another batch of the Tatmadaw (Myanmar army), numbering 29, fled their camp at Tuibual, across Mizoram’s Saikhumphai hamlet on November 16 and were airlifted on November 19 after being stranded at Vaphai Assam Rifles camp due to inclement weather.
The last batch of Myanmar army personnel, numbering 30 were airlifted from Tuipang helipad in Siaha district on November 29.
