Opposing Indo-Myanmar fencing, Mizo Group burn effigy of Amit Shah in Mizoram

Aizawl: A Mizo group representing the Chin-Kuki-Mizo-Zomi tribes living in India, Bangladesh and Myanmar on Monday burned the effigy of Union Home Minister Amit Shah in a show of its opposition to the Centre’s decision to fence the Indo-Myanmar border and scrap the Free Movement Regime (FMR).

The Aizawl based — Zo Re-unification Organisation (ZORO), which seeks the re-unification of all Zo people and bringing them under one administrative unit, during its Chin—Lushai conference in Aizawl on Monday voiced its strong opposition to the decision to fence the international border and end the FMR.

Blaming the Centre, the organisation alleged that it (Centre) is trying to divide the Zo ethnic people by fencing the Indo-Myanmar border and scrapping the FMR, which allows residents from India and Myanmar to travel up to 16 km to each other’s territory without a visa.

The ZORO said that it strongly dislikes the Centre's decision to fence the Indo-Myanmar border and scrap the FMR and it will continue to oppose the move.

Recently, Shah had said that the Centre would fence the entire Indo-Myanmar border and scrap the existing FMR with Myanmar.

While stating that the Mizoram government and several organisations in the state strongly opposed the Centre's decision to fence the Indo-Myanmar border and scrap the FMR, Chief Minister Lalduhoma had recently said that Mizoram doesn't have the authority to stop the Centre if goes ahead with its decision.

India shares a 1,643-km border with Myanmar, which passes through the states of Arunachal Pradesh (520km), Nagaland (215km), Manipur (398km) and Mizoram (510km).

The Chin community of Myanmar share ethnic ties with the Mizos of Mizoram and more than 31,000 Chins have taken shelter in the northeastern state since February 2021 following the military coup.

The ZORO during its conference also passed a resolution to take a referendum among the people of Mizoram on reunification of all Zo people under one administrative unit.

The organisation decided to approach the United Nations Organisation (UNO) and take steps to bring all Zo tribes under one administrative unit if the majority of the Mizo population wished to be united under one administrative unit.