Burmese Army deserter stabbed in Mizoram

A deserter from the Burmese Army was stabbed by Enga while seeking refuge from Chin state in Puicheri bock of Sairang, Mizoram in northeast in India. He was admitted to the civil hospital in Aizawl capital of Mizoram with serious injuries on 13 March.

Zaw Lin (22) son of Mr. Sein Maung and Mrs. Tin Tin Kyunt was stabbed with a knife following a quarrel with Enga. He was seriously injured in his back and left hand.

“I am working as a mason and my employer sent us to gather firewood in the jungle. I requested Enga to help gather firewood so as to finish early but he refused. And then he took the firewood collected by me and prepared to return home. Suddenly he came back and stabbed me,” said Zaw Lin.

Enga escaped but the local authority and police are searching for him.

Zaw Lin was recruited into the Burmese Army, in Insein Township of Rangoon the former capital of Burma by the junta military in 2002 and he was posted in the Light Infantry Battalion (304) of Matupi, the second capital of Chin state from 2003 after military training.

Zaw Lin told Khonumthung News that he managed to escape from the Burmese Army in Matupi town to Lawntlai district of Mizoram and was ekeing out a living with odds job.
From Lawngtlai district, he shifted to Sairang village near Aizawl, this year and got a mason’s job.

“I arrived just two weeks ago in Aizawl and got a job as a mason. I am dejected because of not knowing the local dialect lying in the hospital. I am being cared for by the son of my employer, but I cannot communicate with him, because of the language problem” said Mr. Zaw Lin.

It learnt that Zaw was operated upon on 25 March and he is recovering.