Mizo tribals threaten to take up arms if Centre goes ahead with its plan to scrap FMR
Guwahati: The Zo Reunification Organisation (ZoRO) has registered their strong opposition to the proposed fencing of the international border with Myanmar in Mizoram and scrapping of the Free Movement Regime (FMR) between the two countries.
The ZoRO general secretary Mr L Ramdinliana Renthlei while addressing a mas-sive public rally in Champhai district near Zokhawthar village close to Myanmar border on Thursday said that the people and government of the state had voiced their strong protest against lifting of FMR and fencing of India-Myanmar border, but the Centre remained adamant.
He also warned, "If the Centre continues its plan to fence the border and ditch the FMR, the youths will have no other alternative but to take up arms again.”
The ZoRO is an Aizawl-based group which seeks the reunification of all Chin-Kuki-Mizo-Zomi tribes of India, Bangladesh and Myanmar by bringing them under one administration.
The Centre has announced fencing of the Indo-Myanmar border and cancellation of the FMR to address the issue of illegal immigration from the other side of the border.
ZoRO president R Sangkawia alleged that some forces are out to destroy the uni-ty of the 'Zofate' or ethnic Mizos by erecting a fence and discarding the FMR. "The Zofate, living in India, Myanmar and Bangladesh should not be disintegrat-ed by such moves as a nation does not have borders," he said.
Adviser to Mizoram chief minister, Lalmuanpuia Punte, who is also the vice-president of ZoRO, too said that people living on both the eastern and western side of the Mizoram-Myanmar border river Tiau cannot be divided by this boundary imposed by the British colonial rulers.
"We will never accept the boundary imposed by the British government and the moves been made by the Indian government to accept the border," Mr Punte said, adding that Mizoram legislative assembly had on February 28 adopted a resolution, opposing the Centre's decision to fence the India-Myanmar border and abolish the FMR.
It is significant that the FMR allows people to cross up to 16 km on both sides of the international border.
Mizoram shares a 404km-long border with Myanmar's Chin state and the Mizos share ethnic ties, ancestry with people belonging to the Chin community.
The Kuki Zo tribal community organised a similar rally in Manipur denouncing the government’s decision to cancel the Free Movement Regime (FMR) with Myan-mar and fencing of the international border with the neighbouring country.
The tribal group opposing the fencing also says that Article 36(1) recognises the right of indigenous peoples to maintain relationships across borders, including activities for spiritual, cultural, political, economic, and social, and Article 36(2) provides that States have an obligation to ensure implementation of the right.
The theme of the rally was "Unau kan ni, inthen thei kan ni lo" (United by blood and cannot be parted) and a number of people who did not enter Zokhawthar village also joined the rally at Khawmawi in Chin state of Myanmar, on the other side of the border.
It is significant that altogether 34,141 people from Myanmar are taking shelter in different parts of Mizoram at present. They fled their homes following a military coup in the neighbouring country in February 2021.
Security sources said that thousands of people from both sides of the border, including refugees taking shelter in Zokhawthar and surrounding villages, as well as people from other districts like Aizawl and Champhai, participated in the rally.
