UCM seeks House resolution on border row
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, February 17 2023:
Highlighting the protracted boundary dispute between India and Myanmar over the 398 Kms long Manipur sector, the United Committee Manipur (UCM) has urged all the 60 legislators of the State to study the issue in the State Assembly and take a firm resolution to resolve it.
A team of the UCM visited the controversial border pillars, both new and old on February 15 and 16 .
The UCM has also urged the State Government to send the State Assembly resolution to the President of India, the Prime Minister, the Union Home Minister and the Minister of External Affairs in order to resolve the boundary issue for good.
According to an agreement signed between India and Myanmar (Burma) on March 10, 1967 at Rangoon, the boundary between the two countries should be based on the traditional boundary, said a statement issued by the UCM.
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It said that the villages located on the borders between India and Myanmar can be identified by referring to the village recognition book which is based on the census reports of 1951 and 1961 .
It is a historical and undeniable fact that the Kabaw Valley once belonged to Manipur.
For taking possession of Kabaw Valley, the Government of Myanmar paid 500 Sikkas annually to Manipur starting from the days of monarchy till Manipur was merged into the Indian Union.
Given this fact, the territory surrounding Kabaw Valley must rightfully belong to Manipur, the UCM asserted.
The stoic silence maintained by the Government of India and Government of Manipur even after knowing that India (Manipur) has lost substantial parts of its territory to Myanmar is an act of timidity, it said.
Categorically stating that the ongoing boundary fencing work must be suspended until the boundary issue is resolved, the UCM warned that there would be turmoil in the State if the boundary fence is constructed in a surreptitious manner.
It then called upon all the people to remain vigilant and support the course of action taken up by the UCM in order to save the State's territory.
Pointing out that the UCM and the State Government had agreed on suspending the boundary fencing work at all disputed areas, it asserted that the fence being constructed by BRTF under the Home Ministry, whether it is boundary fence or security fence, should be stopped at once in the interest of Manipur and her people until the issue is resolved.
If the border fencing work continues, the Government of India and the Government of Manipur should be held accountable for any untoward incident resulting thereof, it said.
Manipur was once a sovereign kingdom and it was merged into the Indian Union with the hope of securing a better future.
But the hope has been belied totally.
Instead of securing a better future, the merger has led to loss of vast tracts of Manipur's territory including Kabaw Valley to Myanmar, it lamented.