Mizoram’s top students’ body staged in a sit-in against the coup in Myanmar.
Aizawl:
Mizoram’s top students’ body staged a sit-in on Wednesday, protesting the recent military coup in Mynamar and the human rights violation in the neighbouring country.
The students showed solidarity with the people of Myanmar, a country with which Mizoram shares a 404 km free movement regime (FMR) border. They also expressed solidarity with Mynamar’s Mizo communities, which too have faced the brunt of the coup.
Myanmar shares a 1,468 km border with India. The border touches the northeastern states of Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Nagaland and Mizoram. According to a demographic study of Myanmar’s bordering areas, there is a significant Naga, Mizo and some Assamese population living there.
Early Monday morning, Mynamar’s military staged a lightning coup, detaining Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi, leaders of her ruling party and Myanmar president Win Myint. The army chief General Min Aung Hlaing was granted “legislative, judicial and executive powers”.
The swift power seizure effectively returns a nation at the edge of democracy to direct military rule.
On Wednesday, hundreds of students and leaders of NGOs participated in the demonstration held in front of Vanapa Hall in Mizoram capital Aizawl.
Peter Chhangte, vice president of student body Mizo Zirlai Pawl, said the purpose of the demonstration was to reach out to the Mizo communities living in Myanmar.
“We share the sufferings and joy of our Mizo brothers and sisters in Myanmar. We will always stand for them,” he said.
He urged the Mizoram government to take measure to ensure that the Mizo communities in Myanmar do not face problems in the current political situation there.
He said several Mizos were among leaders of Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy (NLD), who have been detained.
Meanwhile, Mizorram’s ruling Mizo National Front (MNF) adviser and the state’s rural development minister, Lalruatkima, said the state government will not betray the Mizo communities in Myanmar in time of distress.
“We are hurt by the pains and hardships suffered by our Mizo brethren in Myanmar. The MNF government is willing to extend all possible help to them,” he said.
(With inputs from AFP)