Senior citizens concerned over loss of land in border fencing
Source: Hueiyen News Service / Newmai News Network

Imphal, August 25 2013: Senior citizens of Manipur have expressed their concerns on the ongoing border fencing works along the Indo-Myanmar border where many villages from Manipur had gone to Myanmar side wherever the fencing work got completed.

Talking to reporters today, Khaidem Mani, a member of Senior Citizens for Society (SCS) asks, "What is the political agenda of the government with regard to the border fencing work?" Khaidem Mani then wondered if the ongoing border fencing work was done after having had approved by the Parliament.

The senior citizen of Manipur then said once the border fencing works get completed there are so many more villages from Manipur that will be included in Myanmar.

According to Khaidem Mani, the border fencing works also violated the United Nations' indigenous rights, 2007 which became an Act in 2009 .

The SCS regretted that the border fencing works were done without thorough disccussion by the authority's concerned.

It can be recalled here that in the first week of August, the Ministry of Home Affairs, government of India in a statement had said, "Without the settlement of the International Boundary along with Boundary Pillars on Indo-Myanmar border, it is not possible to arrive at a definitive conclusion that a particular village or land is going to be lost.

For the benefit of readers, it is further clarified that the on-going fencing work is restricted to only 10 km for the present and no further work will be undertaken unless all the Boundary Pillars are finally settled through joint inspection by the National Survey Authorities of the two countries as well as the Survey & Settlement Officers and Staff of the State" .

Strongly refuting the statement of the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) on the loss of certain parts of Manipur territory to Myanmar, the United Committee, Manipur (UCM), one of the biggest NGOs in Manipur had alleged on August 11 that many villages of Chandel district in Manipur have been included in the side of Myanmar due to the border fencing work.

UCM president Y Nabachandra had clarified that on August 8, a UCM team consisted of 13 members and journalists had paied a visit to the border area of Moreh-Tamu border to get the first hand report and noticed that several villages on the Indian side have been included in the Myanmar side by the border fencing.

"The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) had said no fencing work was started in the border pillar 79 due to dispute with Myanmar in the area but on the contrary, the work had started from Gobijang till Jangnoi village and 11 households of Gobijang village in the area have already been included in the Myanmar side by the border fencing," the UCM president pointed out.

He said, "About 150 metres of Manipur territory inherited from our forefathers will be lost to Myanmar due to border fencing work," Nabachandra had said.

The UCM chief then urged the government to intervene immediately on the matter.

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