Latest news with #India-Myanmar
Time of India
13-07-2025
- General
- Time of India
148 more refugees return to Myanmar from Zokhawthar
1 2 Aizawl: With 148 more refugees leaving for Chin state of Myanmar on Sunday, there are hardly over 1,300 refugees taking shelter in India-Myanmar border trade centre in Zokhawthar village of Champhai district bordering Myanmar, a village leader of Zokhawthar said. Zokhawthar village council president Laldinthara said only a few refugees are left in Zokhawthar as the large majority of those who fled Khawmawi, Rikhawdar and nearby villages of western Chin state since last Saturday have returned to their respective villages as the truce between the two rival groups of armed Chin militia held for three days. Laldinthara told TOI over phone that almost all the refugees have returned on Saturday from around 9am to Khawmawi and Rihkhawdar in Chin state. According to police record, at least 3,892 refugees fled their respective villages and were taking shelter in Zokhawthar village since gunfight began on July 5 as Chin National Defence Force (CNDF) attacked and captured eight camps of Chinland Defence Force (CDF)-Hualngoram while 2,319 people returned to Myanmar on Saturday. The total number of refugees who returned to western Chin state of Myanmar rose to 2,568 with only 1,324 remaining in Zokhawthar as of Sunday, police said.
Time of India
22-06-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
ANSAM to picket govt offices for 5 days across Naga hills from today
Imphal: The All Naga Students' Association, Manipur (ANSAM), has declared a five-day total office picketing in all Naga-inhabited hill districts from June 23 to June 27 to protest against the India-Myanmar border fencing and the 'unilateral scrapping of the Free Movement Regime (FMR)' by the Govt of India. The association has also warned that any individual, contractor, transporter, or agency involved in transporting, storing, or facilitating construction materials for the ongoing border fencing project will be held fully accountable for any consequences arising from their actions. The resolution in this regard was taken during the association's presidential council meeting held on June 16. Terming the protest as a united people's movement in defence of the ancestral Naga homeland and the kinship shared across artificial borders, the association said fencing through the heart of ancestral Naga domain and scrapping of FMR is an assault on Nagas' identity, unity and way of life. The association has therefore urged all Nagas to extend full cooperation and solidarity to the movement to safeguard Naga history, heritage and human dignity. ANSAM has directed all its constituent units and subordinate bodies to strictly enforce the picketing programme and has made it clear that any escalation or untoward incident during the protest would be the sole responsibility of the Govt of India and Manipur govt. Earlier, ANSAM announced a 48-hour office picketing protest from June 2, which paralysed normal functioning of govt offices across Naga-inhabited hill districts. During the protest, tensions escalated at the Senapati district headquarters, and a vehicle belonging to the superintendent of police was damaged in the confrontation.
Hans India
26-05-2025
- Hans India
Illegally transported timber in 61 trucks worth Rs 3.1 crore seized in Manipur
The security forces have seized 610 tons of "illegally transported" timber worth Rs 3.10 crore in Manipur's Tengnoupal district, adjoining Myanmar, officials said on Monday. A defence spokesman said the illegally procured timber was carried in 61 trucks, and the vehicles have also been confiscated under the Motor Vehicles Act, 2019 and the Manipur Forest Rules, 2021. The seized timber and vehicles have been handed over to the Manipur Police in the Tengnoupal Police Station for further probe and taking legal action, he said. The operation was carried out jointly by the Assam Rifles and the Manipur Police. A police official separately said that the police, in coordination with the Forest Department officials, are conducting a probe to ascertain the origin of the huge consignment and where these was intended to be delivered. Police are also trying to find out whether the timber was smuggled from neighbouring Myanmar, which shares a 398-km-long unfenced border with Manipur. The illegal trades of numerous drugs, exotic animals, varied food products, valuables, arms and other contrabands are often taking place through the Manipur-Myanmar hilly borders. Another official said the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) has stepped up India-Myanmar border fencing work near Moreh town in Manipur's Tengnoupal district last year. The fencing work would be done in a phase-wise manner, he said, adding that so far, 10 km border had been fenced. The border fencing work was undertaken by 'Project Sewak' of the BRO, which is looking after road construction in Nagaland and Manipur. The 'Project Sewak' headquarters is in Nagaland's Dimapur, the officer said. The Union Ministry of Home Affairs had earlier decided that the entire 1,643 km porous India-Myanmar borders with four northeastern states -- Manipur, Mizoram, Arunachal Pradesh and Nagaland -- known for the smuggling of arms, ammunition and narcotics, would be fenced at a cost of Rs 31,000 crore. Manipur shares 398 km of border with Myanmar, while Arunachal Pradesh shares 520 km, Nagaland 215 km and Mizoram 510 km. Various Naga, Mizo, Kuki-Zo-Hmar tribal organisations, some local political parties, along with the Nagaland and Mizoram governments, are against the India-Myanmar border fencing. Manipur Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla recently reviewed the progress of the ongoing border fencing work along the India-Myanmar frontiers, officials said. A Raj Bhavan official said that the Governor, at a high-level meeting, reviewed the progress of the ongoing border fencing work along Manipur, including issues pertaining to the execution of the work along the India-Myanmar border with other northeastern states. During the meeting held at Raj Bhavan, officials of the Border Roads Task Force (BRTF) briefed the Governor on the progress and highlighted matters related to land acquisition, approach roads, fencing, security, manpower and other related issues. The BRTF is a unit under the Border Roads Organisation (BRO). Manipur Chief Secretary Prashant Kumar Singh, Security Advisor Kuldiep Singh, Director General of Police Rajiv Singh, Commissioner (Home) N. Ashok Kumar, Principal Chief Conservator of Forests, Principal Secretary, Agriculture, Secretary to the Governor, and officials from Assam Rifles attended the meeting, among others. Deputy Commissioners of the five border districts also attended the review meeting via video conference.
