Eastern Naga National Organization (ENNO) Myanmar affirmed that it would not allow “India’s sadistic plan” to erect fencing on the India-Myanmar border. ENNO through its rali wali ministry asserted that prior to the advent of the British Empire, Nagaland had no land connection with either India or Burma; nor did Nagas have cultural, religious and spiritual affinities with India and Burma.
ENNO maintained that it was only after the East India Company crushed India and Burma, the Britishers delimited the border through the Anglo-Burmese War, which resulted in the Treaty of Yandabo in 1826.
Consequently, it stated that the Burmese relinquished control over Assam, Manipur, Rakhine, and the coast of Taninthayi. In 1834, ENNO said that the Kabaw Valley areas were gifted to Burma and a boundary was delimited dubbed ‘Pemberton line’ in 1881, adding that in 1837 the Patkai Hills were arbitrarily created.
ENNO claimed that “India’s sadistic plan” to set up arbitrary fence was purely based on religious and racial lines to segregate and isolate the Naga Christians and Zomi Christians and “to inflict socio- economic harms and to cripple our spirit.”
Terming as “misinformation” the assertion that unfenced border has been facilitating drug trafficking into India, the ENNO claimed that as per the UNODC report India’s pharmaceutical companies were the largest suppliers that provide the essential ingredients to Burma and enable the process of making the final production of the illicit drugs for human consumption.
Mizoram NGOs to protest against scrapping of FMR
AIZAWL, FEB 17 (PTI): NGO Coordination Committee (NGOCC) of Mizoram has announced that it would hold a demonstration in Aizawl on February 21 to register a protest against the Centre’s decision to fence the India-Myanmar border and scrap the Free Movement Regime (FMR).
NGOCC is a conglomerate of five major civil society organisations and student bodies, including the Central Young Mizo Association (CYMA) and the Mizo Zirlai Pawl (MZP). The committee had earlier sent a memorandum to Union Home Minister Amit Shah urging the Centre to reconsider its decision to fence the India-Myanmar border and end the FMR.
Mizoram Chief Minister Lalduhoma reiterated on Saturday that his government is opposed to the fencing of the India-Myanmar border and the scrapping of FMR. During an interaction with leaders of NGOCC here, Lalduhoma said the present border was imposed by the British through a divide-and-rule policy separating the Mizos.
He said the Mizos living in India and Myanmar still dream of re-unification under one administrative unit. The chief minister said his government wanted the FMR with Myanmar to continue.
He said he met Union Home Minister Amit Shah on two occasions in January and February and told him about Mizoram’s stand on India-Myanmar border fencing and lifting of the FMR.
He said he had urged the home minister not to construct a fence on the Mizoram side even if the Manipur side of the India-Myanmar border is fenced. Lalduhoma expressed optimism that the Centre may not fence the 510-km-long Mizoram-Myanmar border.