Rallies taken out in Manipur, Mizoram against fencing on India-Myanmar border

A large number of people from the Kuki community took out rallies in Manipur and Mizoram on Thursday to condemn the government's decision to revoke the Free Movement Regime (FMR) with Myanmar and erect a fence along the international border with the neighboring country.

The Center has announced fencing of the India-Myanmar border and cancellation of FMR to stop illegal infiltration from across the border. FMR allows people to cross up to 16 km on either side of the international border.

Ethnic conflict in the northeast has been attributed by Manipur and the central government to illegal migration from across the border. There were over 200 fatalities in the ethnic conflict. In the Manipur district of Tengnoupal, hundreds of Kuki community members staged a demonstration. Thousands of demonstrators participated in numerous processions as well. Manipur and Mizoram have respective international borders with Myanmar of 390 km and 510 km.

In Mizoram the rallies organized by Zo Unification Organization (ZORO) were held in Champhai and Lunglei districts. Zoro is a Mizo group that seeks to reunify all the Chin-Kuki-Mizo-Zomi tribes of India, Bangladesh and Myanmar by bringing them under one administration. ZORO general secretary L Ramadinliyana Renthlei said thousands of people from Wafai and surrounding villages took out a procession in the morning, while about 7,000 protesters participated in the Jokhawthar rally.

He claimed that hundreds of people from Khawmawi and neighboring villages of Myanmar also took part in the Jokhawthar rally, while many could not enter India as the concerned authorities had to close the Friendship Gate to prevent any untoward incident.