By Anil Bhat
On 22 August 2013, Myanmarese soldiers reportedly crossed the International Boundary between India and Mynmar, at Holenphai village near Manipur’s border town of Moreh, 110 km south of Imphal in Chandel District and started cutting trees to set up a temporary camp. Holenphai village is next to a disputed pillar, numbered 76, along the border. Myanmarese soldiers reportedly claimed that the village was part of their territory.
A high-level state committee led by Manipur State government’s Principal Secretary (Home) Dr. J Suresh Babu visited Moreh to assess the situation.”There are nine boundary pillars which are still not settled between India and Myanmar. So government of India, state govt have been requesting Ministry of External Affairs to take up the matter with the Burmese authorities to do a joint survey so that these nine pillars are also settled. As far as the settlement of the boundary dispute is concerned we can only express our views…ultimately it has to be done by the governments of both the countries..so we alone cannot make a settlement,” Dr. Babu was reported to have said.
Ministry of external affairs reportedly stated that it is not an intrusion or an incursion, that Assam Rifles, are already in touch with the Myanmar Army and that issue of the area near un-demarcated border pillar 76 will be taken further.
Of the four Indian states Manipur, Nagaland, Mizoram and Arunachal Pradesh, which share 1643 kilometres of land border with Myanmar – the first two are plagued by insurgent-turned-terrorist groups, who have been getting shelter and support from Myanmar Army. At least eight groups of Manipur, Nagaland and the so-called ‘anti-talks faction’ of United Liberation Front of Asom