Mizo body to stage protest against fencing Indo-Myanmar border

Guwahati: Zo Reunification Organisation (ZORO) announced to launch agitation to protest the Central government's decision against border fencing along the India-Myanmar Border and scrapping the Free Movement Regime (FMR) between the two countries.

Zoro leaders held a meeting with Mizoram Chief Minister Lalduhoma. The leaders announced that they would bring out peaceful rallies at Zokhawthar and Vaphai in Champhai district along the India-Myanmar border (in Mizoram) on May 16 to protest the Central government's decision to fence the border and scrap the FMR.

The ZORO for the past many years seeks reunification of all people belonging to Chin-Kuki-Mizo-Zomi tribes of India, Bangladesh, and Myanmar under one administrative unit.


ZORO leaders said that Chief Minister Lalduhoma while talking to them, expressed optimism that the Centre would exempt the 510-km-long border of the India-Myanmar border with Mizoram from being fenced and would not scrap the FMR.
The British government while demarcating the borders earlier divided the Zo tribal communities in different countries, they said.

The FMR allowed citizens residing close to both sides of the border to move 16 km into each other's territory without a passport or a visa.

Mizo leaders said that the people belonging to Chin-Kuki-Mizo-Zomi tribes, who have common ethnicity, culture, language and tradition, residing on both sides of the border and if the fencing is erected or FMR is scrapped, the closeness and relationship between the communities would be impacted.

The Mizoram Chief Minister told the ZORO leaders that he had already discussed the fencing and FMR issues with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah and requested them to maintain the 'status quo'.

The Mizoram Assembly on February 28 adopted a unanimous resolution opposing the Centre's decision to fence the India-Myanmar border and eliminate the FMR.
The Nagaland government and almost all organisations in the state are also against the border fencing and abolishing of the FMR.

The Nagaland Assembly also on March 1 unanimously passed a resolution urging the Centre to reconsider its decision to fence the India-Myanmar border and scrap the FMR between the two countries.