Aizawl: A civil society group in Mizoram on Wednesday staged a peaceful demonstration in Aizawl to protest against the Centre’s move to fence the 1,643-km long Indo-Myanmar border and end the Free Movement Regime (FMR) with Myanmar.
The event, organised by the NGO Coordination Committee (NGOCC) and held in front of Vanapa Hall in the heart of Aizawl was attended by lone Mizoram Rajya Sabha member K Vanlalvena and a host of legislators from the ruling Zoram People’s Movement (ZPM) and opposition parties, who stepped out of assembly house during the recess of the ongoing budget session.
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Nay Lin Aung, an exiled MP from Myanmar’s Mindat and other leaders from the neighbouring country, who took refuge in the northeastern state, were also seen among the protesters.
NGOCC is a conglomerate of five major civil society organisations and student bodies headed by the Central Young Mizo Association (CYMA).
Addressing the peaceful rally, NGOCC chairman and CYMA president Lalhmachhuana said that the Mizo people have strongly opposed the move to construct a fence along the Indo-Myanmar border, particularly on the Mizoram section of the border, and scrap the FMR, which enables ethnic people living on either side of the border to travel 16 km into each other territory without a visa.
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He said that the Mizo people have been divided and scattered in some international boundaries against their consent and are imposed boundaries, which they did not approve of.
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Lalhmachhuana blamed the Centre for allegedly ignoring the cries and aspirations of its citizens and arbitrarily concentrating on fencing the border on the pretext of curbing drug trafficking, arms smuggling and infiltration, especially the influx of armed rebels from the neighbouring country.
” The proposed border fencing alone will not solve the problems of arms smuggling, drug trafficking and infiltration and the Indo-Bangladesh border is an example of it,” Lalhmachhuana said as he urged the Centre to find an alternative measure to curb such menace.
He alleged that the idea to fence the Indo-Myanmar border and abolish the FMR stemmed from an appeal by Manipur chief minister N Biren Singh, who linked the ongoing ethnic strife in his state to “illegal immigration” from neighbouring Myanmar.
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“Should the Centre fulfil the aspiration of one person or respond to the cries of a larger section (people)? Going by the aspiration of a single man is against the democratic principle of the country,” the NGOCC chairman questioned.
He said that the Mizo people will never accept fencing the border and discontinuation of the FMR.
Lalhmachhuana further said that they have nothing to say if the Manipur government agrees to fence its border with Myanmar but scrapping the FMR and fencing the Indo-Myanmar border of Mizoram sector is not acceptable as it is against the principle of India’s Act East policy.
During the demonstration, the protesters also passed two resolutions, stating they strongly opposed the Centre’s decision to fence the Indo-Myanmar border and end the FMR and supporting the NGOCC steps to ensure cancellation of border fencing and to retain the FMR.
Earlier, the NGOCC had sent a memorandum to Union Home Minister Amit Shah urging him that the Centre may reconsider its decision to scrap the Free Movement Regime (FMR) with Myanmar and fence the Indo-Myanmar border.
The committee had urged the Centre to assert the rights of indigenous peoples who are divided by international border as India is one of the signatories of the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP), 2007.
In its memorandum submitted on February 13, the NGOCC claimed that the FMR has been a crucial mechanism in maintaining ethnic and cultural linkages between the Mizo people residing on both sides of the border and the proposed abolition of the FMR and border fencing would have a detrimental effect on the vital ethnic and cultural connections between the Mizo communities.
Earlier, Chief Minister Lalduhoma had said that his government had strongly opposed the proposed fencing of the Indo-Myanmar border and was in favour of retaining the FMR.
He had said that he met the Union Home Minister on two occasions in January and February and told him about Mizoram’s stand on Indo-Myanmar border fencing and lifting of the FMR.
He had further said that he urged Shah to exempt Mizoram even if the Manipur side of the Indo-Myanmar border is to be fenced.
Lalduhoma expressed optimism that the Centre may not fence the 510-km long Mizoram-Myanmar border.
Four Indian states- Mizoram, Manipur, Nagaland and Arunachal Pradesh share a 1,643 km long international border with Myanmar.
The Mizos share ethnic ties with the Chins of Myanmar.