Meet reiterates call for suspending border fencing
Source: The Sangai Express
Moreh, August 17 2013 :
A consul-tative meeting on the ongoing controversial border fencing in Manipur sector of Indo-Myan-mar border was held today at Trade Centre here under the joint aegis of Committee on Protection of Land in Border Fencing (CPLBF) Manipur, ICHAM and KSO together with chiefs of 28 villages affec-ted or likely to be affected by the border fencing work.
The meeting reaffirmed the earlier resolutions as forwar-ded to the Chief Minister through a memorandum on August 2 apart from adopting two new resolutions.
The two resolutions adopt-ed in today's consultative meeting were; first, Choro Khunou village in Ukhrul and Tuivang Molcham loca-ted between Border Pillar Nos 64 and 68 should not be han-ded over to Myanmar and se- cond, the Government's attempts to hand over outlying villages to Myanmar should be stopped immediately.
The four resolutions adop-ted earlier said that the State Government should intervene and stop luring village chiefs with peanuts of compensation at the cost of Manipur's land.
Joint survey and demarcation of the traditional boundary of Manipur and Myanmar based on historical documents should be conducted by both Indian (including State Government's civil officials concerned) and Myanmarese authorities.
Construction of the fence should be halted until the traditional boundary between India and Myanmar is clearly identified and demarcated.
The fourth resolutions demand that representatives of CPLBF Manipur be included in the survey.
Talking to media persons after the consultative meeting, CPLBF convenor Brojendro Ningomba said that Chief Minister O Ibobi appeared to be ill-advised when he stated at the Independence Day celebration that not a piece of Manipur's territory was lost on account of the border fencing work.
He went on to ask, "How can one say that not a piece of land is lost when the border fence is constructed right in the middle of a village away from the traditional borderline into the side of Manipur?" .
He proposed that the border may be re-surveyed together with MLAs, chiefs of affected villages and civil society organisations so that the border fencing work is executed according to rules and norms.
Tamil Sangam Moreh general secretary KBS Maniam said that Myanmar has been claiming half of Moreh as their territory.
Taking advantage of the disappearance of BP 78, Myanmarese villagers put up a kutcha fencing line about 15 years back.
This kutcha fencing was taken as bonafide borderline and by virtue of it, Myanmarese authority has been claiming all the land beyond the kutcha fencing, Maniam said.
Questioning how large should be the construction free zone, Maniam observed that the border fencing work would affect almost all of Moreh Ward Nos , 2, 4, 7 and 5 .