Myanmar News Links: Border areas under 9 border pillars remain un-demarcated, says CM

IMPHAL, June 28: Replying to a Calling Attention Motion from ruling MLA RK Anand on the Moreh Indo-Myanmar border issue, the state Chief Minister Okram Ibobi SIngh today said in the House that border areas under nine border pillars in Moreh along the Indo-Myanmar border remain un-demarcated.

He said that while some of the pillars had weathered, some had been uprooted and missing. This has happened as each and every border pillar along the international border cannot be guarded individually, he said.

The pillars which are found missing are Border Pillar nos 66, 76, 78, 89, 90, 91, 92, 93 and 94 and efforts are on at present to settle the border dispute once and for all by organizing a joint survey of the area to be participated by representatives of both countries, he said.

However, fencing g of a 10 km stretch along the border will be completed before the demarcation of the border areas lying under the nine pillars, the Chief Minister said.

He said that Ministry of Home Affairs, Home Secretary designate Anil Goswami during his recent visit to the state had met him before leaving the state.

The Home Secretary designate had instructed to look on the issue of the border including the ongoing construction work of the Integrated Check-Post at the area, he said.

The Chief Minister also said that he had talked about the ICP with officials of the Ministry of Home Affairs only yesterday.

He said that the total area for the under-construction ICP is 45 acres.

Even if the total area of the ICP has in anyway infringed on the Myanmar side, the construction can continue, the CM said before adding that because the encroach land could not be bigger than 5/10 acres and as such, construction can start by leaving upto five acres of land of the proposed total area in the remaining 40 acres.

The left out 5 acres can be utilised after a settlement is reached between the two countries, he said.

Further clarifying on the claims that the temple of the Tamil Sangam has infringed on Myanmar land, the Chief Minister said that the infringement is not by the temple structure but by the fencing around it.

He said there was an instance when Myanmar authorities had protested against the Assam Rifles who were excavating soil using excavators for the construction of a check post saying that the site was un-demarcated land following which, officials of the Ministry of Home Affairs were intimated and the excavation work was stopped.

With the coming of the Look East Policy in the South East Asia, relations between India and Myanmar has improved, he said while adding that Myanmar also wants to establish an ICP at Moreh.

And as for the un-demarcated land, meetings attended by representatives of both countries including a state representative have been held both at Yangoon and New Delhi.

The meetings were attended by officials of the Ministry of Home Affairs, Ministry of External Affairs and The Survey Department of Myanmar.

He said that the state government will never allow any kind of compromise on the Manipur boundary under any circumstances.