1. Zo Re-Unification Organisation (Zoro) organized peaceful rallies in Mizoram against India’s border fencing plan.
2. Demonstrations took place in Zokhawthar and Vaphai villages, highlighting discontent with the Centre’s decisions.
3. The protests aimed to oppose border fencing and the termination of the free movement agreement with Myanmar.
Aizawl, May 16: Thousands of individuals joined rallies across Mizoram on Thursday to express their discontent with the Centre’s plan to fence the India-Myanmar border and terminate the free movement agreement with the neighboring nation.
Organized by the Zo Re-Unification Organisation (Zoro), peaceful demonstrations occurred in Zokhawthar and Vaphai villages in the Champhai district, bordering Myanmar.
Notably, participants from Myanmar also partook in the rallies, as stated by an organization leader.
Zoro, advocating for the reunification of Chin-Kuki-Mizo-Zomi tribes across India, Bangladesh, and Myanmar, orchestrated the events.
The rally in Vaphai began at 7 am, concluding around 10 am, while another procession in Zokhawthar, home to the India-Myanmar Friendship Gate, commenced at 11 am and is ongoing, informed Zoro’s general secretary, L Ramdinliana Renthlei.
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In Vaphai, thousands gathered, while approximately 7,000 protestors assembled in the Zokhawthar rally.
Despite several individuals from Myanmar being unable to enter India due to the Friendship Gate’s closure, people on both sides of the border waved at each other and voiced opposition against the Indian government’s decision.
Displaying placards and banners, protesters called for the preservation of free movement in border regions, stressing their Zo ethnic identity and longstanding coexistence.
The free movement regime, allowing people to traverse up to 16 km on either side of the international border, holds particular significance in fostering cross-border ties.
Mizoram shares a 510-km-long border with Myanmar’s Chin state, with the Mizos sharing ethnic kinship with the Chin community.
Notably, governmental offices and schools in the affected villages remained closed during the protests.
Similar demonstrations took place in Manipur’s Tengnoupal district, according to Renthlei. Despite the protests, law enforcement officials reported no law and order issues.
Protesters demanded a review of the decision to fence the India-Myanmar border and abolish the free movement regime, expressing concerns about its impact on ethnic communities’ interactions.
Given the ongoing turmoil in Myanmar following a military coup in February 2021, more than 34,000 individuals from the Chin state have sought refuge in various parts of Mizoram.
The Mizoram government, along with civil society organizations and student bodies, vehemently opposes the Centre’s decision, fearing its repercussions on the close ties between ethnic groups of both nations.
The Mizoram Legislative Assembly previously passed a resolution on February 28, opposing the Centre’s actions concerning the India-Myanmar border and the free movement regime.
