Aizawl: Four injured Myanmar army (Tatmadaw) soldiers, who crossed over to India seeking refuge in Mizoram, were referred to state capital Aizawl for treatment after a brief halt at Myanmar bordering Zokhawthar village in Champhai district, a police officer said Wednesday.
The police officer told TOI on the phone from Zokhawthar that information about the entry of the four Tatmadaw members was belatedly learned on Tuesday. "They reportedly entered Zokhawthar village on Monday afternoon. One Myanmar soldier with serious injuries arrived at Zokhawthar on Monday and was followed by three others. As there are hardly any medical facilities in the village, they were referred to Aizawl."
The police officer, however, could not give any information about the nature of their injuries and which hospital they were referred to in Aizawl. Unofficial reports said the four Tatmadaw members left Hakha town, the capital headquarters of Chin state, and reached Zokhawthar after a two-day journey.
As the civil war in the neighbouring country has intensified, war weary Thara Soe (26), Soe Aung (30), Thiha Kyaw (26) and Tin Ko Ko Kwin (30) reportedly deposited their weapons with the anti-coup civil militias, took off their uniform and deserted the Myanmar army to come to Mizoram.
A senior state police officer in Aizawl said the four Myanmar soldiers were not the first to enter Mizoram for shelter. "We have received information that some of them had even entered the state along with the refugees earlier," he said.
Earlier, more than 600 Myanmar soldiers who fled their camps after being run over by militant groups and civil militias had fled to Mizoram seeking refuge. They were repatriated to their country in accordance with the understanding reached with Myanmar military junta and India's ministry of external affairs.
While some of them were airlifted to Moreh in Manipur by the Indian Air Force helicopters, most of them were airlifted to Sittwe port town in Myanmar from the lone Lengpui airport near Aizawl by Myanmar military aircraft.
It may be recalled that an ATR aircraft of Myanmar military sent to airlift their soldiers crashed after landing at the Lengpui airport on Jan 23 last.