On the ground report: How Mizoram became entry point for mercenaries headed to Myanmar

CHIN (MYANMAR) In June last year, Mizoram police arrested Daniel Newley at Aizawl’s Lengpui airport. The Britisher, returning from Myanmar, had one live bullet in his bag. A crime punishable under the Arms Act, 1959, but not the kind of news anyone would care to follow. But the context of this arrest became clear only this week. Mizoram chief minister Lalduhoma said foreigners, including mercenaries and ex-members of the special forces of the UK and the US are entering Myanmar via Mizoram to give arms training to insurgent groups there.Newley spent six months in jail and then walked free in Feb.“Nearly 2,000 foreigners visited Aizawl during June and December last year, but they were never seen here,” Lalduhoma said. “Their main intention might have been to interfere in the internal affairs of Myanmar.” “New Delhi has been closely watching the situation in the border areas,” he said, adding that the recent visit to Mizoram by US diplomats came as a surprise to the state govt. medium nocaption119968793To understand what’s happening on the ground in Myanmar, TOI travelled to Myanmar. This is what we found.An Empty Village On A HillSome 16 km from the Mizoram border is Haimual village, which sits atop a picturesque hill. The village of 200-odd families is empty. All the women, children, and most of the men are sheltering at the Uilui relief camp across the border, in Mizoram. But Salai Rina (name changed) is around, watching news on TV in his hut. The earthquake in Myanmar has killed over 2,700, but the ruling Junta that grabbed power in a coup and ousted the Aung Sang Suu Kyi govt in Feb 2021, continues to bomb the many rebel-held outposts in the country. Rina is a rebel leader, a commander of the People's Defence Force (PDF)-Zoland, which is holding on to parts of Myanmar’s Chin state. With him are a few other rifle-toting rebels in military fatigues. “Our villages are empty. Our people are living in relief camps inside India. But these attacks cannot break our resolve. We also had good training from foreign soldiers and can fight the military,” said one of the rebels.Rina confirmed that he and his comrades have received arms training from former British soldiers.“There was also a former member of the US special forces who trained other anti-coup Chin groups operating from here,” Rina said. medium119970258Warplanes of the Myanmar air force continue to bomb important townships in central and eastern Chin state like Halkha, the capital of Chin, Falam, Tedim, Thantlang and Mindat where the Chin resistance group have failed to capture the Tatmadaw camps – military bases and outposts of the Myanmar armed forces. A number of people, including civilians, have been killed or maimed in the bombings.One of the former commanders of the Chinland Defence Force (CDF), now chief of police at Hualngoram in Myanmar’s Champhai district, said they had seen a number of foreign mercenaries amongst other Chin groups.“Initially we had our arms training at Camp Victoria, the military headquarters of the Chin National Front (CNF) and its armed wing, the Chin National Army (CNA),” he said. medium119969008The Healing TouchThere are also a large number of medical professionals working, including the Doctors Without Borders.In Mizoram state, northeast India, they offer basic healthcare and specialist referrals for refugees from Chin state, Myanmar, at their clinic in Zawkhatar.“In displacement camps in the southern-border districts of Champhai, Siaha and Lawngtlai, we provide newly arrived families with relief items such as tents, and cooking and hygiene kits, as well as access to water and sanitation facilities, and medical referrals," the organisation said. medium119969598Keeping Things GoingOne of the top administrators of the Hualngoram People's Organisation (HPO), Pu Hminga, based in Khawmawi village of Chin state, told TOI that the HPO has been running a local self-govt to look after the ‘mipui sipai’, or people’s resistance militia (CDF-Hualngoram), the local police department, as well as health and education. Hminga said they are also constructing and maintaining roads.The civilian govt is being run by former commanders of the CDF-Hualngoram, who are elected by different village council leaders. “We are part of the Chinland Council/Chinland govt affiliated to the National Unity Govt (NUG), the Myanmar govt-in-exile established by representatives of the Myanmar govt elected in the 2020 general elections, later ousted in the Feb 2021 coup,” he said. medium nocaption119968846Delhi Is WorriedBack home in New Delhi, a worried ministry of home affairs (MHA) has reimposed what is known as “Protected Area Regime” (PAR) in Mizoram. A holding area is being prepared near the arrivals hall inside the terminal building of the Lengpui airport, dedicated for checking protected area permit (PAP) and restricted area permit (RAP) travellers.From now on, foreigners visiting Mizoram will have to seek special permits from the govt, as was the case before 2010, in accordance with the Foreigners (Protected Areas) Order, 1958. medium nocaption119968820“We are making arrangements as per the directions of the MHA and our officials are in close contact with the central govt. Law enforcement agencies are vigilant,” state home minister K Sapdanga said.The Centre has suspended the free movement regime, which allows locals on both sides of the border to travel up to 16 km into Myanmar or Mizoram. This has led to outrage as people have to obtain border passes from the Assam Rifles personnel guarding the Mizoram-Myanmar border.Even the Mizoram govt is objecting to the scrapping of the free movement regime as people on both sides of the border share the same culture, tradition, religion and ancestry. medium119970372Photos: HC Vanlalruata