UCM demands boundary re-survey
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, July 11 2019: Asserting that disputes on Indo-Myanmar border pillars have been a protracted issue, the United Committee Manipur (UCM) has reaffirmed its stand to demand conducting a thorough and simultaneous joint survey along the segments of ten disputed Indo-Myanmar border pillars with the involvement of State Government officials, experts and CSOs from the State and Myanmar officials so that a permanent solution could be brought on the protracted border disputes.

The organization has also warned that the State's territorial integrity cannot be compromised in the pursuit of building Indo-Myanmar bilateral relationship.

Addressing a press meet held today at Lamphel office, UCM president Sunil Karam claimed that the dispute along Indo-Myanmar border is a protracted issue and people settled along the border have been complaining about their land being encroached by Myanmar even before UCM was established.

Further stating that UCM and the people of Manipur have been struggling to protect the State's territory since a long time back, he said that they will continue to stand against any kind of infringement and encroachment into the territory of Manipur.

UCM demands boundary re-survey

Recalling that the dispute along Indo-Myanmar BP 81 and its subsidiary pillars surfaced last year, he maintained that the officials from GoI re-surveyed/verified the said border pillar along with the villagers of Kwatha Khunou after many CSOs including UCM and the people of Manipur strongly reacted against the alleged erection of the said border pillar and subsidiary pillars inside the territory of Manipur.

The Surveyor General of India who led the resurvey claimed that BP 81 was erected in the right position only when he was about to leave Manipur at Imphal Airport.

The statement made by the Surveyor General of India was dubious as he had initially said earlier at the spot when the resurvey was conducted that he would send another team equipped with necessary instruments to reverify the disputed border pillar later, he added.

Sunil also claimed that the then Minister of State for External Affairs Kiren Rijiju later claimed in Parliament that there was no dispute on BP 81 although there are some uncertain things on the subsidiary pillars erected along the line of the said border pillar, he added.

Stating that UCM has been demanding a thorough and simultaneous resurvey along the Indo-Myanmar border pillars, particularly along the segments of ten disputed border pillars with the involvement of State Government machineries, experts and CSOs as the representatives of Manipur since the past many years, Sunil conveyed that UCM is sticking to the same demand even now.

Further reminding that a memorandum highlighting the same demand was submitted to GoI on April 7, 2017, the UCM president urged the Central Government to fulfil its demand at the earliest failing which he warned that UCM along with the people of the State will launch intense form of agitations.

He also appealed to the people of Manipur to be prepared to take up necessary action in order to protect the State's territory in case the Government fails to do the same.

While welcoming the warm bilateral relationship shared between Myanmar and Government of Manipur/India, Sunil warned that many uncertain and unwanted incidents may happen in the State if the State's territory is compromised or harmed just to win goodwill of Myanmar.

UCM general secretary Kh Athouba, on the other hand, expressed strong disbelief saying that nothing satisfactory would come out of the joint survey which was conducted today at BP 82 by officials of Myanmar and Manipur Governments as the survey did not emphasize on experts' views and technical aspects.

He pointed out that the boundary agreement signed between the Government of India and Government of the Union of Burma at Rangoon on March 10, 1967 needs to be taken into account when Myanmar and India conduct re-survey along the Indo-Myanmar border.