IMPHAL, August 11: The Government of Manipur and Government of India should be held responsible if any unwarranted incident broke out resulting from the Indo-Myanmar border fencing works which is now under dispute. The works should be discontinued until public agreed on this, cautioned Y Nabachandra, president of United Committee Manipur (UCM).
He was speaking at a press meet held at its office today in the aftermath of the committee’s 13 members three days field visit along with a media team which had started from August 8 on the disputed areas of Moreh-Tamu border town which have been effected on account of the ongoing Indo-Myanmar border fencing works.
The UCM team had visited Govajang, Jangnoi, Kotha Khunou, B Bongjang, Muslim Area, T Minou, Holenphai, Gate no. 17, and pillar no 78 where the team concluded that if the border fencing works continues then some areas of Manipur would fall under the Myanmar territory.
Y Nabachandra alleged that the disputed border fencing along the border was initiated considering only after security reasons and without conducting proper survey of the boundary line adding that Government of India had not informed the state government on details of the works and is cleared from the fact that none of the concerned department of the State Government did not have proper records on the fencing works.
Referring to the statement of Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) that the border pillars number 66, 76, 78, 79, 81, 89, 90, 91, 92, 93, 94 are not being settled even though pillar number 79 which falls in Muslim dominated area was found erected, he questioned the MHA that if the said pillars are not being settled then how the pillar number 79 has been erected and why the fencing has been done in this area.
The most disputed pillar is number 76 which is in controversy from many years between India and Myanmar but the said pillar is missing and in place of this a pillar number 23 has been erected much inside the Indian Territory by the Myanmar government. When asked to the villagers and police about the matter, they were unable to ascertain, he pointed out.
Quoting the villagers of B Bongjang, he narrated that the 82 RCC BRTF and Assam Rifle had came to conduct survey for border fencing works in the village but despite the villagers claim that the village belongs to Manipur and that it should not mak fall into Myanmar territory, the officials of BRTF and AR did not listen to the call of the villagers.
He went on to say that villagers of Holenphai has been threatened by the Myanmar army informing to evacuate the village at the earliest and if not then the houses in the village will be wiped out with the help of bulldozers.
He further appealed to stop the border fencing works immediately and called upon the state government to intervene into the matter and find out the location of the border pillar no. 76 and resurvey.
The state government should take the issue seriously and ensure that no portions of land of the State are loss to Myanmar before it went into a big public issue, he added.