Aizawl: The body of a militant belonging to the Arakan Army (AA) with a Chinese identity card on it has been found by the Indian Army during a ‘routine’ joint training exercise in southern Mizoram’s Lawngtlai district, a senior state police official told TOI on condition of anonymity on Thursday. The exercise was reportedly being undertaken under the supervision of the Union defence ministry. Myanmar has recently scaled up operations to flush out Indian militants holed up in its territory, in response to which Indian troops have sealed a 22-km stretch of the international border along Mizoram to prevent Arakan Army rebels from fleeing into Indian territory.On Wednesday, the Indian Army asked villagers of Vathuampui to congregate at the village playground, where a free clinic was conducted and people were cautioned not to venture too near the border, sources in the village said. A large number of troops were also seen in Hmawngbuchhuah and surrounding areas on the Mizoram-Chin State (Myanmar) border. Official sources said the troops were sent to take up humanitarian work in the event of refugees entering Lawngtlai district if the confrontation between the Myanmar Army and the AA results in a refugee influx.At least two Mine Protected Vehicles (MPV) crossed Aizawl on Wednesday and were seen moving towards Lunglei in the south. MPVs, to be used by bomb disposal squads, are likely to come in handy in border areas where landmines are being used by insurgents to slow down the advance of the Myanmarese army.Indian troops have also been deployed to prevent insurgents from infiltrating Mizoram, sources said. Over 1,700 refugees from Paletwa and surrounding villages in Myanmar had fled and taken shelter in Hmawngbuchhuah and surrounding villages in Lawngtlai district in 2017, of whom around 300 refugees are still living in Hmawngbuchhuah. They claim that returning to Myanmar is not safe for them.People’s Representation for Identity and Status of Mizoram (PRISM) party on Thursday termed the activities of the Indian troops in Lawngtlai district not only alarming to the local populace, but also a violation of the law. A press statement issued by PRISM said villagers were herded in Vathuampui and Zochachhuah by the troops, an act beyond the power of the Army and a ‘violation of human rights’. The party urged the state government to release an official statement on the incident and to take steps to reassure civilians living in fear and confusion.“We demand that the state government safeguard the rights of the people and take steps to ensure that no violation of human rights re-occur in the state,” the statement said.

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