Villagers begin constructing trans-border road

Khonumthung News
20 February 2006 

Residents of six villages have taken the initiative to construct a trans-border road in Chin state, Western Burma. The construction has been underway from the first week of February.  

The trans-border road will connect border villages of Mizoram, India and Chin state, Burma. The road will connect villages in Champhai district, Mizoram and Tlanglo village, Thantlang Township, Chin state, People from six villages of Vanzang Tract of Thantlang Township, Chin state has taken up the construction work.

Two teams from three villages each in the Vanzang tract have been building the motor able trans-border road on a weekly rotation. The old residents in Vanzang tract who have migrated to Thantlang town donated 200,000 kyats, a mithun and a swine for the construction of the road, villagers said. 

"The road will be constructed till the Tio River on the Indo-Burma border, which is around five miles from Tlanglo village. We can go to the border in cars and bullock carts after the completion of the road," he added. 

Sopum, Vanzang, Farawn, Tlangpi, Tlanglo and Lungding villages in Vanzang tract have taken the initiative to construct the road. The villagers of this tract do not hope to get assistance from the State Peace and Development Council.

An elderly villager told Khonumthung, "This road will never be constructed if we wait for government assistance. We want to show that we can build the road on our own." 

Traders from Burma commonly use the footpath connecting Tlanglo and Farkawn village. Since the road is not motor-able, goods are transported on horseback till the River Tio. 

The shortest route between Mizoram, India and Hakha, the capital of Chin state, Burma is the Farkawn–Tlanglo road. Cars and bullock carts and more people are expected to travel after the completion of the road. 

Meanwhile on the Indian side the government has been laying the trans-border road over the past three years. The road will connect the Tio River by this year. 

The construction of the road in Chin state, Burma by villagers had begun seven years ago but was abandoned. The chances of success of the fresh initiative by villages are uncertain because human labour is the only resource for the construction of the road. 

An assembled vehicle with rice mill as the engine, known as Hsau Lou Jei in local parlance is the only contraption to travel between Thantlang and Tlanglo.