Border trade hit as Myanmar closes gate

[Hindustani78]

Updated: October 6, 2016 20:55 IST
http://www.thehindu.com/news/nation...hit-as-myanmar-closes-gate/article9193326.ece

Officials say law and order problems behind the decision
The closure of the international gate by Myanmar from Monday has crippled border trade.

The closure is to maintain law and order following the shooting of an Indian insurgent by five unidentified persons at Namphalong near the international gate on Sunday night. The same day a powerful bomb was detonated near the boundary pillar No. 79, just 40 metres away from Muslim Nagar at Moreh in Manipur.

Indian authorities are yet to track the culprits involved in these incidents.

Official sources said India was not informed anything about the closure of the international gate.

The enquiries by some police officials at the Myanmarese immigration office failed to yield any response.

Some traders have been hanging around at Moreh, India’s border town, hoping that the international gate will be reopened. Many have returned to Imphal and other cities in the northeast. Loaded trucks are stranded on the Trans-Asian highway No. 102.

Intelligence officials say some northeast insurgents have their camps at no man’s land. They have been creating law and order problems.

 

[coffee_cup]

I can feel the pain of all neighbors of India.

This child in elephants body is the worst neighbor one can ever wish for.

I hope Myanamar is not threatened by bully India...

 

[Hindustani78]

I can feel the pain of all neighbors of India.

This child in elephants body is the worst neighbor one can ever wish for.

I hope Myanamar is not threatened by bully India...

Actually its the Indian nation who have been suffering because of the invaders.

We all are aware what happened to the rohingyas, more than one million Indians use to live in Rangoon before 1945 but now the truth is out there.

 

[OB909Alpha]

ISOLATE PAKISTAN? MAYBE?

 

[Hindustani78]

ISOLATE PAKISTAN? MAYBE?

Pakistani Establishment should understand what really means nation/ Quam.

Chapter (49) sūrat l-ḥujurāt (The Dwellings)

Allah the Exalted declares to mankind that He has created them all from a single person, `Adam, and from that person He created his mate, Hawwa'. From their offspring He made nations, comprised of tribe, which include subtribes of all sizes. It was also said that `nations refers to non-Arabs, while `tribes refers to Arabs. Various statements about this were collected in an individual introduction from the book, Al-Inbah, by Abu `Amr Ibn `Abdul-Barr, and from the book, Al-Qasad wal-Amam fi Ma`rifah Ansab Al-Arab wal-`Ajam. Therefore, all people are the descendants of `Adam and Hawwa' and share this honor equally. The only difference between them is in the religion that revolves around their obedience to Allah the Exalted and their following of His Messenger . After He forbade backbiting and belittling other people, alerting mankind that they are all equal in their humanity.

(O mankind! We have created you from a male and a female, and made you into nations and tribes that you may know one another.) so that they get to know each other by their nation or tribe.

 

[Director General]

There have been severe stone pelting on the Myanmar official camp by tribals living on the Myanmar side, so they had to close it temporarily.

 

[Hindustani78]

http://www.thehindu.com/news/nation...ighway-blockade/article9213337.ece?ref=tpnews
Updated: October 13, 2016 05:41 IST
Petrol pumps across Manipur remained shut in the wake of an indefinite blockade along the State’s highways, authorities said on Wednesday.

The blockade, called by the Rongemei Naga Youth Front, commenced on Tuesday midnight in protest against the failure of the government to address the deteriorating condition of National Highway-37 linking Assam and Manipur.

“There was no prior notice. I had to buy petrol at Rs 120 a litre,” local resident P. Nilamani said.

Another resident Rupashree said: “In the past, the government used to say that there was always a stock to last 21 days. Petrol pump owners were threatened with legal action if they indulged to hoarding. This time, the government has remained silent.”

Meanwhile, traders were profiteering out of the scarcity. Many of them were reportedly going to Moreh along the Myanmar border to get petrol to sell in and around Imphal.

O. Biramani, a trader, said: “There are three grades of petrol available at Namphalong across the International Gate and these are cheaper than the Indian petrol. We can get huge profit in bringing petrol to Manipur.”

The blockade is being supported by a number of NGOs which contend that the State government has failed to oversee the works of the Border Roads Task Force (BRTF). Several activists blamed the BRTF for the present poor condition of NH-37.

However, BRTF officials have assured the authorities that they would make NH-37 “comfortably passable within December 15”.

They pleaded non-availability of material and interference from extortionists for the poor upkeep of the strategic highway.

“Despite constraints, we shall make the highway passable. But we need cooperation from the state authorities like checking the weight of the overladen vehicles which so often cross the wobbly bridges along this important highway,” the officials said. - IANS

 

[Hindustani78]

Last Updated: Friday, October 21, 2016 - 23:07
Shillong: Meghalaya Chief Minister Mukul Sangma on Friday called for regulating trade on the international border in northeast India.

He said absence of legal trade led to illegal activities across the borders, which has a dangerous fallout for India as a whole.

Sangma was addressing a two-day international seminar on `Border Trade in North East India: A Politico-Economic Perspective` organised by Women`s College here.

Referring to pre-Independence days when trade flourished in the remotest and most difficult border areas, the Chief Minister regretted that no advantage had been derived from border trade after 1947 and that the northeast borders have became areas of conflict and poverty.

Sangma said the opening of two border `haats` in 2012 -- one at Kalaichar in South West Garo Hills and Balat in East Khasi Hills -- was meant to promote the age-old trade relations with Bangladesh. These not only brought economic benefit but also promoted people-to-people contacts across the borders.

"Given the success of these border markets, Meghalaya has submitted a proposal for setting up 22 more border `haats`, of which four have been sanctioned," he said.

Earlier, Indian Institute of Management-Shillong`s Board of Governors Chairman Falguni Rajkumar termed South-East Asia as a divided family broken down by state politics and stressed the need to restore the dynamics of exchanges across the borders.

PTI

First Published: Friday, October 21, 2016 - 23:07

 

[Hindustani78]

Last Updated: Sunday, October 30, 2016 - 12:53
http://zeenews.india.com/news/world/trader-shot-dead-in-manipur-border-town_1944995.html

Imphal: A 41-year-old trader was shot dead by unidentified assailants in Manipur`s border town of Moreh, the state police said.

"At 7.32 pm on Saturday evening, Dhamendra Mabik and his wife Chanda were preparing dinner in their house adjacent to his electronics shop when the assailants barged in and fired shots at close range. The husband was hit in the head and chest while the wife was hit in the upper chest. We are exploring possible extortion bid from militants," the police said in a statement.

Chanda, who was 24 weeks pregnant, is battling for her life in a hospital in Imphal.

Intelligence sources told IANS on Sunday that there was a possibility of business rivalry.

To protest the gun attack, the Chamber of Commerce of Moreh shut down all shops and business establishments at the town on the border with Myanmar.

Tourists and traders were stranded since they could not go on shopping at Namphalong across the international border.

 

[Hindustani78]

http://www.thehindu.com/news/nation...-Myanmar-border-trade-hit/article17005850.ece
IMPHAL January 07, 2017 23:18 IST
Updated: January 07, 2017 23:18 IST
Border trade between India and Myanmar, legalised in 1995, has virtually come to a halt thanks to recurring blockades, general strike and other forms of disturbances.

Apart from highway robberies and rampant extortion by militant outfits, trade has fallen victim to unlawful activities. Shoppers and tourists are reluctant to visit the border towns of Moreh in Manipur and Namphalong in Myanmar as a flash strike can leave them stranded for days.

Traders and officials said if the situation does not improve, they may have to shift the trading centre elsewhere. Mizoram is likely to be the destination as there is no law and order problem there.

In 2015, there were 250 days of blockade, general strike and localised disturbances, severely affecting trade. The ongoing economic blockade imposed by the United Naga Council since November 1 is no different, bringing trade almost to a standstill.

 

[Hindustani78]

http://indianexpress.com/article/in...mar-new-top-route-for-gold-smugglers-4574173/
Written by Khushboo Narayan | Mumbai | Published:March 18, 2017 5:00 am

WHILE GOLD seizures have come down this fiscal year, Myanmar has replaced traditional routes, such as Dubai, Thailand, Bangladesh and Nepal, as the top country for smuggling the yellow metal into India, according to customs data accessed by The Indian Express. The data shows that the customs department seized 246 kg of gold smuggled from Myanmar and 151 kg from Dubai in the first seven months of the current fiscal year — data for 2016-17 is available only till last October. In 2015-16, data shows, the department seized about 1,417 kg of gold smuggled from Dubai and 232 kg from Myanmar.

The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) has also acknowledged in a recent report that gold continues to be “a concern as a major item of smuggling” and that “the porous Indo-Myanmar border in Manipur has seen a consistent rise” in gold smuggling.

“A number of cases were detected which points to an organised channel, whereby smuggled gold is brought clandestinely across the land border, moved to intermediate points such as Guwahati and Siliguri by road, often defaced or melted to obliterate foreign markings and further transported to Kolkata/Mumbai/ Chennai by rail/air,” said the DRI report.

Officials said the shift to Myanmar is because insurgency movements provide support to illegal handling of large quantities of gold. Apart from this, they said, improved monitoring of the air route has shifted smuggling to the trans-border road route.

“The Indo-Nepal border is better patrolled, and the terrain is not as easy as that of Myanmar-Bangladesh for smuggling goods into Kolkata, which has a traditional jewellery-making base. The availability of trains to the main markets in Mumbai, Chennai and Delhi helps move the gold, at times as jewellery or after melting,” said a customs official.



In the last one year, the DRI has booked several cases pertaining to smuggling of gold through Moreh, a town on the Indo-Myanmar border in Manipur.

In September 2016, the DRI arrested a Guwahati-based bullion trader with 10 kg of gold at Delhi airport. The agency subsequently found that the racket, allegedly headed by the trader, smuggled around 7,000 kg of gold worth more than Rs 2,000 crore through the Indo-Myanmar border in the last two-and-a-half years.

According to official sources, the country’s enforcement agencies seized at least 1,025 kg of gold worth over Rs 350 crore in the first ten months of this fiscal year.

Smuggling of gold remains a lucrative business due to high profit margins, said officials.

According to intelligence agencies, the average price difference of gold between the London Metal Exchange and Mumbai is around Rs 3.8 lakh per kg. The agencies have estimated that on an average, a smuggler makes a profit of Rs 90,000 to Rs 1.1 lakh per kg of smuggled gold after deducting a hawala cost of Rs 10,000, premium of another Rs 10,000 and transportation cost of Rs 2.5-2.7 lakh per kg, including carrier expenses, tickets and other expenses incurred by operators.

 

[Hindustani78]

http://zeenews.india.com/india/shiv...dia-myanmar-international-border-1990981.html

Imphal: An incident of attack on a Hindu temple was reported on Wednesday.

This Hindu temple on the Indian side of the India-Myanmar International Border was attacked on Wednesday, causing concern among local officials and people.

It's the second largest temple in the Northeast -- and popularly known as Shiva temple.

The temple was inaugurated over 18 years ago by the Tamil Sangam Moreh in association with the trading community settled at Moreh, Manipur's border town.

The town has a mixed population of Hindus, Muslims and Christians.

What happened actually?

It was attacked with a powerful remote-controlled bomb around 8.45 a.m, police said.

No casualty was reported.

Troopers of 11 Assam Rifles and local police rushed there soon after the blast.

Electric bulbs, water tankers, window panes and some of the temple walls were damaged in the blast, a Brahmin attendant of the temple said.

Temple authorities said there was no monetary demand from any militant group.

Police said security measures have been beefed up in the border town.

On Sunday, another bomb exploded near the Nepali temple on the Myanmar side, intelligence sources said,

The temple is located 500 metres away from the Namphalong international market, frequented by Indian traders and tourists.

"We do not know why we are being targeted," said the temple authorities.

(With agency inputs)


First Published: Wednesday, March 29, 2017 - 14:38

 

[Hindustani78]

A woman walk by the India-Myanmar border fencing at Moreh, some 120 kms from Imphal, the capital city of Manipur on March 10, 2017. India and Myanmar share a 1,624-kilometer (1,009 miles)-long border. Border fencing is still not completed in India-Myanmar border. (AFP File Photo)

 

[Hindustani78]

http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/other-states/blasts-hit-manipur-border/article18519156.ece
IMPHAL:, May 21, 2017 16:36 IST
Updated: May 21, 2017 16:36 IST
Two bomb blasts rocked Moreh, Manipur's border town on Saturday night. Police said that the first blast took place at 9:30 p.m. at the perimeter wall of the police station in the town. The second blast was reported at midnight at Gamnom Veng inside the town. There was no casualty.

Police said that of late there have been several blasts at Moreh and nearby areas and Tamu, a trading centre in Myanmar.

On Thursday L. Soshindro, the parliamentary secretary (Home) was attacked when he had gone to Kotha near Moreh to inaugurate a religious festival. Four policemen were injured in the twin blasts.

Earlier, two troopers of 165 Territorial Army were killed and two others wounded along Trans Asian Highway No. 2 that leads to Moreh.

There has been no claim by any insurgent group. The latest blasts come shortly after the condemnation of the Kotha blasts. People of Moreh had also protested with a 24 hour general strike in protest against the blast at Kut ground near the police station.

Police say that efforts are on to establish the identity of the insurgents behind the blasts and their motive.

 

[Hindustani78]

India and Myanmar have a free movement agreement that allows people to visit each other’s countries up to 16 km from the zero line on the international border
india Updated: Aug 17, 2017 11:09 IST
http://www.hindustantimes.com/india...border-town/story-Zw2tvUVbmYYfpr8j2qyf3H.html

Indian and Myanmar policemen guide people from the neighbouring country to drive on the left side of the road as they enter Moreh in Manipur through the ‘friendship bridge’. (HT photo)


It is not right in Myanmar to drive on the left side of the road. But following the rules of the road often puts Myanmar citizens on the wrong side of the law when the drive into India.

India and Myanmar, formerly called Burma, have a free movement agreement that allows people on either side of the border to visit each other up to 16 km from the zero line that separates the two countries.

People of the two countries also drive into each other’s territory within the specified limit for trading of more than 60 items including edible oil, tea, semi-precious stones, motorcycles and vehicles below 100cc capacity.

The hub of this border trade is Moreh, a town in Manipur about 110 km from state capital Imphal and parked on the border with Myanmar.

Every day, scores of traders from Myanmar arrive at Moreh on two or four-wheelers to buy Indian goods or sell their wares. While business has flourished despite interruptions such as highway blockade, the inability of Myanmar citizens to adjust to driving on the left side on Indian soil has often led to traffic snarls and accidents.

“Traffic rules in Myanmar are different from ours. This has resulted in accidents in the past and could cause major mishaps in the future,” Kh Raghumani Singh, deputy commissioner of Tengnoupal district said.

On August 10, he finally wrote to his Myanmar counterpart stationed at Tamu, the nearest town across the border about 5km from Moreh: “You are requested to kindly instruct all Myanmar vehicles to abide by Indian traffic rules and regulations after entering Indian territory without fail immediately.”

On Wednesday, Myanmar police sent a few personnel to help Manipur police regulate traffic on the Indo-Myanmar Friendship Bridge across the border on the road linking Moreh and Tamu. The Myanmar police had to occasionally cross over to make their citizens – habituated to driving on the right side of the road – to be on the “Indian right ride”.

“The Myanmar police are very cooperative now, and they have been instructing drivers in their language to be on the left side of the road in India. They are also guiding their drivers accordingly,” a police officer in Moreh said.

A British colony until 1948, Myanmar used to drive on the left side of the road. But on December 6, 1970 the country suddenly made a switch to the right side.

Tengnoupal district superintendent of police S Ibomcha said the traffic police have put up hoardings at the border town in Burmese language to assist Myanmar citizens. Unlike in the past, a traffic sub-inspector has been assigned to head traffic control at Moreh for 12 hours from 6am.