Mizoram people protest against India-Myanmar border fencing

Large number of people took part in two rallies -- organised by the Zo Re-Unification Organisation (ZORO) -- in Mizoram on Thursday to protest the government's decision to fence the India-Myanmar border and scrap the Free Movement Regime (FMR) between the two countries.

The peaceful protest rallies were held at Zokhawthar and Vaphai villages in Champhai district bordering Myanmar.

ZORO general secretary L. Ramdinliana Renthlei said that protesting the Centre's decision to fence the India-Myanmar border and scrapping the FMR, thousands of men and women took part in the two rallies at Vaphai and Zokhawthar along Myanmar borders.


He said that in view of the protest rallies, all government offices and schools in the two bordering villages remained closed on Thursday.
Mizoram shares a 510 km unfenced border with Myanmar's Chin state and the indigenous Mizos share ethnic, cultural and linguistic ties with people belonging to the Chin-Zomi-Kuki community.
The Mizoram government, various ruling and opposition parties, civil society organisations including influential NGO Young Mizo Association and student bodies have strongly opposed the Centre's decision to fence the India-Myanmar border and lift the FMR as they believe that it would dissociate close contact between same ethnic communities of the two countries.

The Mizoram Assembly had on February 28 adopted a unanimous resolution, opposing the Centre's decision to fence the border and abolish the FMR.