ZORO opposes Centre's plan to fence Indo-Myanmar border

Aizawl, Nov 21 (PTI) An organisation representing the Chin, Kuki, Mizo and Zomi tribes of India, Bangladesh and Myanmar on Friday expressed their opposition to the central government's plan to fence the Mizoram section of the Indo-Myanmar border.

The Mizoram-based Zo Re-Unification Organisation (ZORO) claimed that the Centre has recently re-initiated the plan to fence the international border after a brief halt following stiff opposition from the state government and various groups.

Mizoram shares a 510-km-long border with Myanmar’s Chin state and the Mizos share ethnic ties with the Chin people living in the neighbouring country.

"We consider this plan unacceptable because it seeks to divide the people who share the same ancestry, lineage, and blood. We therefore reiterate our firm opposition and declare that we will continue to resist the construction of the border fencing with utmost seriousness," ZORO vice president L Ramdinliana Renthlei said in a press conference.

The organisation described the unified resistance from the state government and other stakeholders to ensure that the Centre does not erect fences on the boundary as 'Indanna bang' or 'barrier wall.

Renthlei said that the ZORO has thoroughly studied the Indo-Myanmar border fencing proposal and recognised its "grave negative implications" and the tremendous hardship it will cause to the ethnic Zo people of both countries.

He said that the Zo communities living in Myanmar and India share close ethnic ties, and marriage among people from both sides of the boundary is still in practice.

"If the border is fenced, these natural social bonds will be abruptly severed, cutting off close relatives and creating deep divisions among families. Such an outcome is harmful to our identity and alarming, especially as it provides a tool for others to weaken and dominate us," the ZORO vice-president said.

Renthlei alleged that fencing the border will severely damage unity among Mizos of the two countries and will also adversely affect their lands.

He said that Mizoram lost a vast stretch of land as proposed fencing is to be erected inside 150 metres from the boundary, which will in turn cut off significant stretches of agricultural land, grazing areas, paddy fields, rivers, sand resources and hunting grounds resulting in the loss of livelihood by several families.

He claimed that Mizoram lost 12 villages while others were divided in the middle when fencing was erected along Mizoram-Bangladesh border.

Furthermore, the proposed border fencing also poses serious harm to wildlife as it will disrupt their migration routes between the two countries, which will eventually endanger their population, Renthlei said.

Earlier also, the ZORO criticised the Centre for its decision to erect fences along the India-Myanmar border. PTI CORR NN