Tension in the Rolling Hills: Burmese Population and Border Trade in Mizoram

Julien Levesque (1) , Mirza Zulfiqur Rahman

1 IPCS - Institute of Peace and Conflict Studies

Since the late 1980s, two phenomena have placed Mizo society under strain—the inflow of people from Myanmar and border trade. Unfortunately, the authorities’ passivity in monitoring these issues has further led to their exacerbation rather than their containment. Mizoram has been hosting temporarily a Burmese population—almost entirely from Chin state—of 70,000 to 100,000 people, who have fled political repression, military oppression and economic impasse. To grasp the social complexity of the situation, three main points are addressed: description, categorization, and integration. This article highlights how the passivity of the authorities in monitoring both the immigration from Myanmar and the informal border trade has contributed to fueling tensions between local Mizos and Burmese (Chin) immigrants.

Mots clés: Northeast India; Chin refugees; Border zone; Mizoram; Border trade

Domaines: Science politique

Julien Levesque, Mirza Zulfiqur Rahman. Tension in the Rolling Hills: Burmese Population and Border Trade in Mizoram. [Research Report] 14, Institute of Peace and Conflict Studies. 2008. ⟨halshs-02363277⟩