The Central Young Mizo Association (CYMA), Mizoram’s leading civil society organization, has intensified its appeal to the state government for the creation of a formal refugee policy to manage over 42,000 displaced persons residing across the state.
Following a key meeting of its Central Coordination Committee (CCC), CYMA expressed concern over the lack of structured measures and called for designated shelter sites and clear governance guidelines for refugees and internally displaced persons (IDPs) from Myanmar, Manipur, and Bangladesh. “The current arrangements are inadequate for addressing the scale and complexity of the crisis,” CYMA General Secretary Malsawmliana said. The CCC also reviewed the work of a special committee earlier tasked with drafting refugee policy proposals.
According to Mizoram Home Department data, the state is currently hosting over 33,000 refugees from Myanmar’s Chin State, about 7,000 Kuki-Zo people from Manipur, and more than 2,000 Bawm refugees from Bangladesh’s Chittagong Hill Tracts—all of whom share ethnic ties with Mizos. CYMA had previously raised the issue during its October 2023 conference. On Wednesday, the association reiterated its commitment to humanitarian support while urging the government to implement a compassionate and legally robust refugee management framework.
