Charred bodies of 3 Mizoram residents found inside Myanmar territory

Aizawl: Charred bodies of three Mizoram residents, including a woman, were found in a jungle inside Myanmar near the Indo-Myanmar border, a senior police officer said on Friday.

The deceased have been identified as Biaksuii (48), B. Lalthafamkima (40) and Babloo (37), all from south Mizoram’s Siaha district, Mizoram Inspector General of Police (Law & Order) Lalbiakthanga Khiangte said.

He said the three had gone missing on March 19 after they set out for Myanmar from Ainak village in the Siaha district.

Since then, they had been held hostage by miscreant(s), and their charred bodies were recovered from a forest inside Myanmar, about 2 kilometres from the international border, on Thursday morning, he said.

“The perpetrator (s) are believed to be from Myanmar, once involved with a rebel group before they disassociated from it,” Khiangte said.

The state police have launched a manhunt for the miscreant(s), he said.

According to Khiangte, miscreant(s) killed and burnt three victims as they allegedly failed to return the money meant for purchasing weapons.

After the victims failed to buy weapons, they reportedly returned the money, but the miscreants claimed that the money was not returned in full, he said. 

The investigation is going on, he added.

Meanwhile, Mara Thyutlia Pi, an apex women’s body of the Mara people based in Siaha, demanded stringent action against the perpetrators.

Thousands of people from Myanmar have taken refuge in Mizoram after the military junta seized power through a coup in February 2021.

Refugees from the neighbouring country continue to trickle in till now due to armed clashes between the Myanmar Army and Pro-democracy supporters or rebel groups.

Mizoram shares a 510 km long international border with Myanmar.

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