Tension prevailed along the India-Myanmar border in Manipur’s Tengnoupal district on Sunday, a day after Myanmar Army started levelling the no-man’s land, officials said.
Tengnoupal’s Collector K. Raghumani, who toured the area with Superintendent of Police S. Ibomcha, said the official team inspected illegal constructions like pig pens of Indians at the no man’s land and told told the owners to dismantle these illegal constructions failing which the district administration shall move in.
On Saturday, the Myanmarese officials had started levelling the ground in the no man’s land.
Ibomcha said that as both countries should not encroach upon the no man’s land, police stopped it.
Raghumani said that there was no official word to the district administration from the Myanmarese authority about the levelling works. He clarified that Indians also cannot construct anything on the no man’s land.
Officials said that in absence of a clear-cut boundary, there had been some instances of disputes. Last year Myanmarese officials and army personnel intruded into Hollenphai village in Tengoupal district and had allegedly dismantled a saw mill and carted away the machinery and other items claiming that the village is within Myanmar.
However protesting villagers said “this Indian village has been within Manipur for a long time”. Some constructions in Moreh town for the legalised border trade were suspended following claims by Myanmar that the areas are within Myanmar.
Raghumani said that the issue of levelling the ground in the no man’s land will be brought to the notice of the Central government.