Indians missing in Tamu Moreh tense, SDPO writes to Tamu official
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, February 18 2014 : Tension gripped the border town of Moreh after the whereabouts of two Punjabis, who entered Myanmar a a week back, remained traceless.

Security has also been tightened up along the porous Indo-Myanmar border areas to foil any unwanted eventualities.

Taking serious note of the matter, the Moreh SDPO and Immigration Office has asked the Tamu Immigration Officer to trace the two missing Indians.

Altogether six Sikhs went to Tamu through Moreh after obtaining due pass for entering Myanmar on February 11 to sell some merchandise there.

Of the six traders, Sanvendar (30) from UP and Dhaljit (33) from Maharashtra did not return and they could not be traced till date.

The Moreh SDPO wrote to the Tamu Immigration Officer to trace the two missing Indians and hand them over to Indian authority, in case Myanmar police has arrested them.

It is reported that Indian officials stationed at Moreh would talk the issue with Myanmar counterparts very soon.

Denouncing the authortities' failure to trace the missing duo, hordes of civil bodies belonging to different communities imposed an indefinite bandh at Moreh from Tuesday evening, local sources said.

The bandh, if it prevails longer, will give a blow to the ongoing Indo-Myanmar commercial activities at Moreh, also the focal point of India's "Look East Policy" .

Various Moreh-based civil bodies on Sunday warned of launching stern agitations including bandh and sealing of the border gates if authorities of both India and Myanmar fail to trace the two by 2 pm of Monday.

The two had reportedly entered Myanmar's Tamu district from Moreh on February 11 to sell school uniform after obtaining pass from Myanmar immigration counter at Indo-Myanmar gate No 2 .

Since then, their whereabouts were not known, local sources said and added that they came to Moreh after carrying out their petty business in Imphal.

The angry Moreh bodies including Hill Tribal Council (HTC), Meitei Council Moreh (MCM), Tamil Sangam, MMCM, ACODOM and KWUHR submitted separate representations to Additional DC, Moreh and district chairman (Tamu district) of the neighboring country pressing them to trace out the two missing persons, a source said.

The Border Trade and Chamber of Commerce, Moreh (BTCC) too urged the Tamu district chairman to act fast in tracing the duo.

According to the BTCC representation, the two along with four others of the same community had entered Myanmar thought gate No 2 at 8am of Feb 11 after obtaining papers from the Myanmar immigration counter and after reaching Tamu, they divided into three teams of two persons each.

Four of them returned to Moreh around 1pm, but the remaining two did not come out and the matter was reported to the Myanmar Immigration office and the police and Assam Rifles stationed at Moreh the following day, added the source.

On Monday, some Indian officials manning at Moreh along with the civil and community leaders met Tamu district administration officials, who assured to extend their level best to trace out the missing two Indians in their country.

A senior Assam Rifles officer serving at the border town said he that he too had spoken to Myanmar authorities to ensure the two are traced out at the earliest.

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