.

/ \ MEMORANDUM SUBMITTED TO THE HON'BLE PRIME MINISTER OF INDIA BY ALL

POLITICAL PARTIES OF MANIPUR STATE IN THE MATTER OF BORDER FENCING BEING
CONSTRUCTED ALONG INDO-MYANMAR INTERNATIONAL BOUNDARY (MANIPUR
SECTOR).

To
Dr. Manmohan Singh,
Hon'ble Prime Minister of India,
7 Race Course Road, New Delhi.

Subject: - lm,mediate re-demarcation of the India-Myanmar boundary (Manipur

Sector) and re-identification of Border Pillars along the boundary.

Hon'ble Sir,

We, the members of all Political Parties of Manipur, on behalf of the people of Manipur,
would like to submit the following facts on the above mentioned subject for your kind information
and necessary timely action thereof.

1. That, the State of Manipur in the historical past, was an independent princely kingdom of
South East Asia, with its own distinct socio-cultural and historical entity for more than two
millennia. The ancient boundaries of the kingdom of Manipur extended up to the southern bank of
the Brahmaputra in the north, Lushai Hills in the south, up to the confluence of the lrrawaddy-
Chindwin rivers of the then Burma in the east, and up to the Cachar valley districts of Assam in the
west (Report on the Eastern Frontier of British India by Capt. R.B. Pemberton, 1835).

2. That, during the regime of the British, the boundaries of the state continued to shrink. After
the Treaty, of Peace signed at Yandaboo on 24th February, 1826 and .Agreement regarding the
Kabaw Valley at Sunynachil Ghat on 9th January, 1834, the eastern boundary of Manipur receded
to the present day boundary. In this process, many of the villagers belonging to the same ethnic
communities were abruptly separated from each other (e.g. 12 villages of Tangkhuls in Somra
Tract and another 5 villages of Kangpat fell into Burmese territory). Till today, the result of these
events continues to be a sensitive issue among the people of Manipur.
.
3. That, the then Maharaja of Manipur signed the Merger Agreement on 21st September,
1949 with India, and Manipur became a part of the Dominion of India on 15th October, 1949.
Protection and control of the boundaries of Manipur thereafter vested with the Government of
India. The lndo-Burma Boundary was delimited through a bi-lateral agreement signed between
India and Burma on 10th March, 1967 in Rangoon. In terms of the said agreement, the
International Boundary Line is to be demarcated based on the Traditional Boundary Line.
However, after the agreement, the formal boundary delimitation and demarcation were done on
maps in between the two countries. Both the countries further ratified the agreement and the
Instrument of Ratification was signed and exchanged in New Delhi on 30th May, 1967.

-- -- -- -,----
/

4. That, the actual physical boundary delimitation on the ground was conducted w.e.f 5th April,
1975 without any responsible representative from the State of Manipur. The identification of
Traditional Boundary Line on the ground was decided by the officials of the Burmese Government
as none of the Indian representatives were familiar with the ground position. Since then, tension
along the Inda-Burma boundary line continues to simmer. As per documents available, 99 Border
Pillars (BPs) were to be erected along the Inda-Burma International Boundary(Manipur Sector).
There are a number of disputed locations of the BPs, namely BPs No. 64-68 in the Tuivang-
Molcham area, BP Nos. 75-80 in the Tamu-Moreh area including Betuk Village, Thangbung Minou
Village and Mangkang Village among others, and BPs No. 81-95 in Kwatha Village, Satang
Village, Lamlong Khunou Village, Saibol Village, Wangli Village, Charo Khunou Village and
Kongkan Thana Village area. The original BP No. 76 in Moreh area had disappeared long back,
and instead a new BP was erected by the Myanmar authority having different shape and design
with No. 23 carved on it. There are two BPs with the same number 87, one located in
Yangoupokpi on the Indian soil and the other at Oukrung village on the Myanmar side. Similarly
each of the BPs 87,88 &89 has a duplicate BP-on on Indian soil and the others on Myanmar soil.
Many of the BPs were uprooted from the original sites and erected deep within Indian territory.
About a dozen BPs remain contentious which need to be settled with the Government of
Myanmar.

5. That, 35 km length of the Inda-Myanmar International Boundary in Manipur sector is yet to

be demarcated on the ground. ·

6. That, in Haolenphai village located about 4 km from Moreh, the Myanmarese army has
erected a wooden fence after felling trees and clearing shrubs, and has set up a camp nearby.
They also told the Indian villagers not to venture near the fence.

7. That, the Surveyor General of India printed the Inda-Myanmar Boundary lines in two
different scales with two different boundary lines viz. T opo-sheet Map of 1973 and Topo-sheet
Map of 19~6:

8. Recently, work has started for construction of border fencing on 10 km stretch in Moreh
area along the international boundary. However, serious allegations had been raised thc1t the
fence does not follow the international norms, and erected deep within Indian territory abandoning
huge tract of Indian land making way for the Myanmarese to come and occupy it.
.
The people of the area and various Civil Society Organization_s of Manipur have
raised this matter very seriously leading to a delegation of all political parties led by the
Hon'ble Deputy Chief Minister of Manipur to visit the area including Mangkang -
Thangbung Minou (at present Haolenphai village) on 22nd October, 2013.

Taking into consideration the field position found during the site visit and the facts stated
above, members of all the political parties unanimously resolved to submit a seven point
memorandum for your kind attention and urgent necessary action in the larger interest of the
country to remind the people of the Nation in general and the State in particular that the
Government of India is deeply concerned about its territory and its people.

-- -- - ,-- -
;, /

Claims and Demands:

(i) · Work for construction of the border fencing be suspended as major portion of the
fencing is being erected deep within Indian territory surrendering huge tract of Indian land.
Moreover, construction of the fencing is done in portion of the 35 km unsettled boundary.
The clarification made that "the fence is not a border fence, but a security fence" does not
cut ice with the people, and it has provoked them even more.

(ii) The fence cuts through the Yangoupokpi-Lokchao Wildlife Sanctuary which is part
of a very sensitive bio-diversity spot serving as a corridor of South East Asian mammalian
species, and efforts need to be made for providing an alternative corridor before the fence
is further constructed.

(iii) All issues pertaining to the India-Myanmar international boundary (Manipur Sector)
be dealt with necessarily in a tripartite manner by making the Government of Manipur an
essential party.

(iv) Re-survey and re-demarcation of the India-Myanmar boundary (Manipur Sector) and
re-identification of the BPs be carried out, based on the Boundary Agreement signed
between the Government of the Republic of India and the Government of the Union of
Burma (now Myanmar) on 10th March, 1967, by a Joint Boundary Commission with people's
participation from both sides at the earliest so that tension along the border is mitigated.

(v) The process of re-demarcation of the boundary and re-identification of the BPs be
done by taking into consideration the treaties on the traditional boundaries available in the
historical records of the British period. After re-survey and re-demarcation of the boundary,
leading to an acceptable boundary line to both countries, border fencing may be
constructed as per the international norms.

.
(vi) The Surveyor General of India be instructed to publish only validated maps so that
confusion is avoided.

(vii) Google be warned to immediately remove the maps of India and Myanmar showing
erroneous boundaries in Manipur Sector from its website or correct the same as made
available after duly approved/certified by the Surveyor General of India.

3
 Therefore, we the undersigned, on behalf of the people of Manipur, sincerely urge the
Hon'ble Prime Minister kindly to instruct the authorities concerned to initiate necessary process at
the earliest in the larger interest of the Nation, and also understanding the serious concerns of the
people of Manipur.

With warm regards,

Yours faithfully,

sJ..\-
(O. lbobi Singh)
Chief Minister, Manipur

~3-\-
(Gaikhangam)
Other signatories Deputy Chief Minister, Manipur.

1)
1)
2)
2)
AITC
INC
1)
1)
2)
2)
C.P.1.
CPl(M)
1)
1)
LJP
1)
B.S.P.
1)
2)
JD(S)
JD(U)
1) . 1)
AIFB
2)
1)
MSCP
Shiva Sena
1)
1)
NCP
PDA
1)
2)
N.P.F.

Copy to:-
1. Shri AK.Anthony, Hon'ble Union Minister of Defence,
Government of India
2. Shri Sushi! Kumar Shinde,Hon'ble Union Minister of Home Affairs, Government
of India.
3. Md. Salman Khurshid, Hon'ble Union Minister of External Affairs, Government
of India.
4. All Political Parties( National & Regional) ·
5. The Surveyor General of India.