Thousands flee to India amid intense fighting in Myanmar

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This photo taken on November 9, 2023 shows fighters of the ethnic rebel group Ta’ang National Liberation Army (TNLA) standing guard in the town of Namhkam in northern Shan state. A surprise offensive by Myanmar ethnic armed groups has blocked two strategically vital roads to the country’s biggest trading partner China, choking cross-border commerce and denying the cash-strapped junta taxes and foreign exchange. (Photo by Mai Nyi / AFP)

NEW DELHI, Nov 14, 2023 (AFP) – More than 2,000 people fleeing Myanmar have crossed into neighbouring northeastern India as an offensive against the military widens, Indian media reported Tuesday.

The Press Trust of India (PTI) news agency reported more than 2,000 Myanmar citizens from western Chin state had crossed into India’s Mizoram state since Monday, with at least 17 people taken to hospital for their wounds.

Almost 50,000 people have been displaced by fighting in northern Myanmar after an alliance of ethnic armed groups launched an offensive against the junta two weeks ago, according to the United Nations.

PTI, quoting government statistics, said Mizoram was already home to more than 30,000 Myanmar nationals.

The first group of refugees — including police officers and soldiers — fled into Mizoram when violence escalated in 2021.