Myanmar army enters Manipur


K Sarojkumar Sharma, TNN | Aug 24, 2013, 01.16 AM IST

IMPHAL: After China, it is the turn of Myanmar to give India the blushes. Myanmarese troops crossed the border in Moreh on Thursday and are now prepared to set up a temporary camp at Holenphai village in Manipur's Chandel district, claiming the area lies within their country.

The Assam Rifles, which is guarding the India-Myanmar border, is yet to issue any official statement on the stunning development, but its jawans are said to have intensified patrolling in the Holenphai area. A source said the state government has informed the Centre.

The intrusion comes at a time when the Manipur government has decided to set up a committee to review the India-Myanmar border-fencing work in Chandel district, considering the public furore over it. The 10-km border fencing work taken up in Chandel has kicked up a storm with various social organizations and opposition parties saying a large chunk of land will fall in neighbouring Myanmar as a result of the exercise.

Manipur shares a 398-km border with Myanmar.

The Myanmarese army has initiated the ground work for setting up a temporary platoon base camp at Holenphai village, 3 km south of Moreh police station close to international border pillar number 76, said village authorities. The state government has already planned to develop a new township at Holenphei to boost Indo-Myanmarese commercial activities.

Taking into account the report made by Lalkholun Haokip, chief of Holenphai, Moreh additional deputy commissioner (ADC) Robert Singh Kshetrimayum, along with two police officers, went to inspect the site on Thursday.

The Myanmarese troops were found clearing the ground for setting up their temporary base camp, a source said, adding that Manipur officials called the CO of Myanmar Army's 87 Light Infantry to get his response. The ADC then pursued the Myanmarese CO with a request to halt the work until a final settlement is reached by the higher authorities of the two countries. Pointing out that the area is 10 metres away from the border pillar, the ADC urged the Myanmarese officer to meet his Assam Rifles counterpart stationed in Moreh town.

The Myanmarese CO told the Moreh ADC that Holenphai falls within Myanmar territory, for which they are setting up a camp. He said unless instructed otherwise by his higher authorities, he will not halt work.

An Assam Rifles officer said the matter has not been brought to the notice of the paramilitary force.

The Times of India

Myanmar Army erecting camp in Manipur territory, allege officials


(Left) Trees have been cut down for the construction of a camp by the Myanmar Army at Holenphai village in Manipur; (right) a Myanmar Army officer talks to Indian officials near Moreh - the border town of Manipur.


The Manipur government has taken a serious view of the Myanmarese Army preparations to construct a temporary Army camp at Holenphai village, located 3 km from the police station at Moreh — the border town of Manipur. The State government is in contact with the Centre regarding the development, according to official sources.

Attempts to defuse the crisis by dissuading the Myanmarese Army officers from suspending the work till a final settlement is brought about were not fruitful as the officers said that they cannot do anything against the orders from their higher officials.

Meanwhile, several voluntary organisations and political parties in Manipur have been demanding the suspension of the work by Myanmarese Army personnel to erect a border fence as large chunks of the State’s land will be lost. Once the fence is erected, almost half of the 14 tribal villages in Chandel district will go to Myanmar. In the case of Choro in Ukhrul district, the entire village will be on the Myanmarese side of the fence. These political parties and NGOs have been threatening massive agitations to protect Manipur's land.

Earlier, on the basis of complaints from Myanmar, erection of the 10 km-long border fence at Moreh had been suspended; Myanmar had said that its land had been encroached upon. The construction of the Integrated Check Post office was also suspended on similar ground.

The Myanmarese Army had started cutting trees at Holenphai village for the construction of the temporary Army base-camp, following which the village chief informed the district officials about the development. Robert Khetrimayum, Additional Collector of Moreh, accompanied by sub-divisional police officer H. Balram and Moreh police commando unit office-in-charge Sadananda visited the village on Thursday.

The official team found the Myanarmese Army cutting trees in the village. The Additional Collector told the commanding officer of 87 Light infantry of the Myanmarese Army to suspend the work till a settlement is brought about. However, the commanding officer was not happy that the Indian officials had come inside the “territory” of Myanmar. He told the Indian officials that he cannot do anything unless his higher officials gave him orders.

He also told the Indian officials that according to a map of the Britishers, this area is well within Myanmar.

Keywords: Myanmar-Manipur border, Myanmar Army, temporary Army base-camp, Moreh, Holenphai, Myanmarese incursions

The Hindu