Meet on border fencing dispute
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, June 08 2011: A sectoral meeting between top officials of india and Myanmar is scheduled to be held on June 14 and 15 to deliberate on the objections raised by Myanmar Army with regard to border fencing on the Indo-Myanmar border.

With Myanmar Army authorities claiming that the fencing work is being carried out by intruding into Myanmar territory all construction activities stopped some days back.

According to an official source, Myanmar Army authorities had on various occasions intimated to Assam Rifles authorities that border fencing work implemented by Border Roads Organisation (BRO) at a 10 kilometre stretch in between Border Pillar No 79 to 81 near Moreh Town has crossed onto the Myanmar side.

With the Myanmar Army insisting that necessary rectification measures be initiated the sectoral meeting to be held at Kalewa is being convened to sort out differences and ensure the fencing work resumes, said the source.

Ruling out possibility of infringing on the Myanmar territory, the source maintained that the border fencing is being carried out 10 feet on the Indian side from the 'no man's land' .

Exuding confidence that the Indian delegation at the sectoral meeting will be able to convince their Myanmar counterparts, the source further confided that the Indian team will be headed by Ministry of Home Affairs' Joint Secretary (North East) Shambhu Singh.

The 14-member Indian delegation will also have representatives from the Government of Manipur.

Other issues likely to figure at the talks include sharing of intelligence reports between the two countries, deliberation on the security situation and measures to check smuggling of wildlife products across the border.

It is further informed that inspite of India extending material and manpower support for infrastructure development in Myanmar, border dispute had been a bone of contention between the neighbouring countries.

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