India trying to retain Moreh at the cost of Choro Khunou
Source: Hueiyen News Service
Imphal, June 18 2013:
In a bid to settle the boundary disputes with Myanmar, the Indian government wants to hand over Choro Khunou along with Tuivang-Molcham lying in between Border Pillars No.64 and No.68 to Myanmarese authorities.
The Indian government had earlier agreed to handover Tuivang-Molcham to Myanmar as a part of the settlement policy.
According to a classified document secretly maintained at State Home Department, the Indian government has offered to handover Choro Khunou to Myanmar in order to regain the areas along Tamu-Moreh in between Border Pillars No.75 and 79 from the Myanmarese authorities.
However, Myanmar demanded a large portion of Moreh town instead of accepting the offer of the Indian government.
|
It would be hard to maintain status quo along the border areas when the settlement policy of the Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India cannot be worked out.
The document mentioned that the Indian government could possibly settle the boundary issues with Myanmar by having a formal demarcation on the basis of existing boundaries of the two neighbouring countries instead of the map which was approved in 1967.However, it is uncertain whether the Myanmarese authorities would agree to the proposal or not.
There are also other alternatives for settlement if the proposed plan does not affect the interests of the Indian government, the secret document said.
Among such alternative policies, the Indian government may likely pressure State government to agree on the existing border pillars and add more pillars along the 792 metre-long stretch in between Border Pillar No.90 (Old No.9) and Border Pillar No.91 (Old No.8) on the Indian side.
The Indian government may also likely to press the State govt to fix the Border Pillar No.77 (Old No.22) at Moreh area beyond 250 yards on Myanmar side, the document said.
If the settlement policy of the Indian government is not accepted by Myanmar, then India hopes to hand over 1.40 square mile area of Chorou Khunou lying in between Border Pillar No.90 and No.91 to Myanmar as a second alternative settlement plan.
In the other alternative policy, the Boder Pillar No.66 would be fixed after Tuivang Village is kept entirely on Myanmar side.
However, this policy would be accepted by Myanmar only when some portion of Moreh is handed over to them.
State Chief Secretary DS Poonia has also apprised the State Cabinet to discuss on various alternative policies put forward by the Indian government to settle boundary disputes with Myanmar, the document added.