Border Fencing: Another house at Haolenphai told to be dismantled
Source: Hueiyen News Service

Imphal, September 18 2013: With the border fencing along Indo-Myanmar International boundary at Moreh picking up momentum despite strong public objection and demand for putting a halt to the ongoing border fencing process until proper demarcation of the boundary so as no land of Manipur is lost to Myanmar, the Myanmar authorities have reportedly directed the villagers of Haolenphai to dismantle a house to facilitate border fencing process claim ing that the land falls within the area demarcated for fencing.

Addressing media persons in this regard at Irawat Bhawan here today, Dr M Nara, Secretary of CPI, Manipur State Unit, informed that on September 17 a team of CPI, Manipur State unit went to inspect the disputed border areas and met the villagers settling along the international boundary.

During the course of the inspection which was carried out along with the villagers, the team came across that the border fencing has been constructed well within the land of Manipur.

Myanmarese Army erecting fence right in the middle of Haolenphai, a makeshift camps is also seen nearby

An all-political party meeting needs to be convened at the earliest to discuss ways to find out a solution.

The State Government should also exert pressure on the Central Government to look into the matter seriously.

It would never be a right move on the part of the State Government to remain silent despite confirming that neighbouring Myanmar and its Army have seized a large chunk of Manipur's land, Dr Nara observed.

It has been learnt that the spokesperson of Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India has revealed to set up a joint working group to oversee the undemarcated border areas along the Indo-Myanmar international line, Dr Nara said and suggested that a senior Government official from the state like RK Nimai, Commissioner of Art and Culture should be included in the proposed joint working group.

S Sotinkumar, Secretary of Irawat Celebration Committee, who led the 20-member CPI team during the inspection, informed that in some areas border fencing is found to have been erected within a distance of 7 km from the international border line.

As such, around 4/5 villages of Manipur are likely to be given away to Myanmar in the process.

The team members were also informed by the villagers that the Myanmarese Army has asked them to dismantle one more house belonging to a Kuki at Haolenphai village as it allegedly falls within the line demarcated for border fencing.

The Myanmarese Army even shot guns in the air to drive away the family from the house to complete the fence construction; Sotinkumar cited one of the family members as saying.

Sotinkumar further informed that a number of base camps of the Myanmarese army have also come up just near the border fencing areas.

If the State Government remains silent even at this point of time, then it is for sure that large areas of Manipur would go to the other side of the border.

The CPI inspection team also visited Moreh Ward No-3 inhabited by the Tamils and the Muslim dominated Ward No-5, Sotinkumar said, and added that an area of about 100 metre of the Tamil temple was also found already ceded to Myanmar.

N Mangi, Chairman of Irawat Celebration Committee, was also present during the press conference.