Mizzima: Villagers evicted for a ne

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Villagers evicted for a new trade route on Indo-Burma border

Aizawl, December 7, 2000
Mizzima News Group (www.mizzima.com)

The authorities in Mizoram State evicted villagers staying on Indo-Burma
border from their village for a new Indo-Burma border trade route. Some
houses were bulldozed by the authorities as the owners refused to move
to the government-allocated new site.

Mizoram state government issued an order on October 20 for the villagers
in and around Zo Khuttha village in Indo-Burma border to move to a new
location by the end of November. The government has planned to
rehabilitate the villagers in the new location, called ?Phulmawi
Village, which is about two furlong far from Zo Khuttha.

However, most of the villagers refused to relocate themselves in the new
village, alleging that the government is not providing necessary
compensation and arrangement.

Therefore, total 120 villagers of Zo Khuttha village recently filed a
petition with the court and the Mizoram Bench of Guwahati High Court
last week stayed the eviction of 104 Indian villagers for two weeks.
Most of these villagers continue to stay in Zo Khuttha as they wait for
the government?s response.

The rest who ware not able to prove their identity as Indian citizens
are, however, not included in the High Court stay order. Moreover, the
stay order does not include the villagers staying on ?no man land?
situated between the border pillars of two countries. The state
authorities bulldozed two houses in the area last Friday.

The Mizoram State government, through Border Road Organization (BRO), is
planning to start the construction of some buildings related to border
trade in Zo Khuttha village. The new trade route, apart from current
Tamu-Moreh border trade route, is to connect Rih in Chin State of Burma
and Zo Khuttha in Mizoram, crossing Tio stream. The government of India
has offered to construct a bridge across Tio stream for facilitating the
border trade between India and Burma.