The elusive way home: Myanmar refugees in India's Mizoram

Thousands of Myanmar residents fled across the border to Thailand and India as armed conflict escalated following the military coup last year. While some have since returned home, many remain in limbo. In the last of a two-part series, ST meets these refugees in the Indian border district of Champhai in Mizoram.

Mr Lalzachhuana with his children and his shelter at the refugee camp in Zokhawthar. ST PHOTO: DEBARSHI DASGUPTA
New: Gift this subscriber-only story to your friends and family

CHAMPHAI DISTRICT (MIZORAM), India - Mr Lalzachhuana cleans his solar panel lovingly, using a damp cloth to wipe the dust off its surface.

It is a luxury for his displaced family who are now forced to live in a ramshackle blue tarpaulin shelter at a refugee camp in Zokhawthar, an Indian town in Mizoram and on the border with Myanmar.

Already a subscriber? 

Read the full story and more at $9.90/month

Get exclusive reports and insights with more than 500 subscriber-only articles every month

Unlock these benefits

  • All subscriber-only content on ST app and straitstimes.com

  • Easy access any time via ST app on 1 mobile device

  • E-paper with 2-week archive so you won't miss out on content that matters to you

Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.