Trouble at trading in Indo-Burma border

By Nava Thakuria
The New Nation: 31 Jul 2006, 10:19:00

The Moreh trade point in Indo-Burma border area (in the northeastern state of Manipur) receives media headlines, but often for wrong reasons. One of the important trade points with Burma (now renamed Myanmar), the Moreh town witness recurrent disturbances due to various reasons. If the underdevelopment of the Moreh, which is around 110 km away from the state capital Imphal and the lack of civic facilities to traders and the local habitants make regular news, the sudden deterioration of law and order situation crates headlines in regional and also national and international media.

The third week of July witnessed prolonged disturbance in the locality. It started with the killing of a Junior Commissioned Officer belong to 24 Assam Rifles (AR), assigned for counter insurgency operation in the state in the broad day light on July 13. The United National Liberation Front (UNLF), one among 30 insurgent outfits of Manipur claimed responsibility for the assassination of the personnel named Tuk Bahadur Pun. The jowan (soldier) was on duty in the Moreh Bazar, opposite to the Namphalong market of Tamu town in Burmese side, where the militants targeted the security man to kill him on the spot.

The incident provoked the AR personnel and they came out in group to the market areas. Soon they started physically assaulting the traders and also local people in the name of interrogation. The 'men in uniform' not only vandalized the market, but also forced the shopkeepers to shut down their stalls. "The Assam Rifles personnel arrived in the Moreh market(gate no 2) in the morning and started questioning some traders. During interrogation, the soldiers physically assaulted them. Even the AR men did not spare abusing language to the onlookers," said an eyewitness to this correspondent.

The occurrence was followed by immediate protest by a group of local women.

Demonstrating in front of the police station in Moreh town, the women demanded appropriate actions against the security personnel involved in the episode. The agitating women under the banner of All Moreh Apunba Meira Paibi Lup later called for a bandh (total non-cooperation) in Moreh Bazar. The market wore a deserted look for two consecutive days. Tamu, in the other side, however remained unaffected with the disturbances, though it was deprived of Indian visitors, their potential customers.

It may be mentioned that India and Burma signed an agreement on border trade in 1994, which has been in operation since April 12, 1995. The trading activities had been done under the laws and regulations of both the countries, where provisions been made for the buyers (of both India and Burma) to take delivery of the marketed goods in freely convertible currencies. India's exports to Burma include primarily the finished products (machinery and instruments) with drugs, pharmaceuticals and agriculture based various products. On the other hand, Burma exports wood products, pulses, fruits, nuts and spices. The average annual volume of trade through Moreh is estimated at Rs. 250 milion. However, the unofficial or illegal trade volume between the two countries lies in around Rs 15 billion. The illegal trade flourishes in the unchecked 1640 km long border with Burma.

A wide and pitch road connecting Moreh to Kalewa town in Sagaing division of Burma was inaugurated on February 13, 2001. The path named Indo-Myanmar Friendship Road was built by the Border Roads Organization (of India) spending around Rupees 1 billion. The 165-km long Tamu-Kalaymyo-Kalewa road connects India's National Highway 39 in Northeast India that ends at Moreh. However, the pro-democracy activists of Burma had been opposing the trade with an argument that it would only benefit the military rulers of the country. Burma has been under military rule for more than four decades.

The latest form of military junta (named State Peace and Development Council) is responsible for enormous human rights violation through out the country and also for detention of the Nobel laureate Burmese icon Daw Aung San Suu Kyi for the last 15 years now.

The occasional disturbance in the state had a direct and negative implication on the trade between the two countries. Moreover, the deteriorated situation in the locality put an uncomfortable situation to the media persons. During the last incident, the Assam Rifles officials virtually made the Moreh market a 'no-entry zone for media persons'.

The local reporters (mostly representatives of Manipur based newspapers and a local cable channel) were prevented by the AR men from entering the locality for reporting purposes. Even the reporters were subjected to abusing languages by a section of fuming security officers.

The attitude of the Assam Rifles, who prevented media persons from covering the incident, was strongly condemned by the All Manipur Working Journalists' Union (AMWJU). The Moreh based news correspondents boycotted the functions and press statement of the Assam Rifles as a token agitation. Later the conflict was resolved after the Assam Rifles authority expressed its regret over the incident. The Army authority as well as the state government of Manipur had also extended assurance to the agitating women of All Moreh Apunba Meira Paibi Lup that their sentiment would be considered with sincere approach.