Rallies held in Mizoram to protest Centre's decision to fence India-Myanmar border

Zoro organises peaceful rallies in Mizoram to reunify Chin-Kuki-Mizo-Zomi tribes, protesting India-Myanmar border fencing and FMR withdrawal.

Thousands of people participated in rallies in Mizoram on Thursday to protest the Centre's decision to fence the India-Myanmar border and withdraw the free movement regime with the neighbouring country.

The peaceful rallies, organised by Zo Re-Unification Organisation (Zoro), were held in Zokhawthar and Vaphai villages in Champhai district bordering Myanmar, and many people from the neighbouring country also took part in the processions, a leader of the organisation said.

Zoro is a Mizo group which seeks the reunification of all Chin-Kuki-Mizo-Zomi tribes of India, Bangladesh and Myanmar by bringing them under one administration.

The rally in Vaphai began at 7 a.m. and ended around 10 a.m. while another procession in Zokhawthar, where the India-Myanmar Friendship Gate is located, commenced at 11 a.m. and is underway, Zoro general secretary L. Ramdinliana Renthlei told PTI.

"Thousands of people took to the streets in Vaphai while around 7,000 protestors participated in the Zokhawthar rally. Hundreds of people from Myanmar took part in the two rallies, while several could not enter India as the authorities concerned had to close the Friendship Gate to prevent any untoward incident," he said.

Across the India-Myanmar Friendship Gate in Zokhawthar, people waved at each other and raised slogans against the Indian government's decision to scrap the free movement regime and fence the international border between the two countries.

Protesters also held placards and banners, demanding the continuation of free movement in border areas and asserted that they belong to the Zo ethnic group and have been living together for ages.