Border tense over Myanmars
fencing move
Staff Correspondent
Myanmar has reinforced its border forces with additional troops after unilaterally starting construction of a barbed-wire fence on the border, indicating fresh tension after the stand-off in the Bay of Bengal between the two next-door neighbours in November.
The foreign minister, Dipu Moni, refused to comment on the reported barbed-wire fencing along the border by Myanmar with the backing of its troops.
I do not like to voice any opinion now. We will firm up our stance after considering the situation, she told reporters on Tuesday at her office when she was asked to comment on the governments position on the latest development along the Bangladesh-Myanmar border.
Even foreign secretary Md Touhid Hossain and home secretary Abdus Sobhan Sikder told New Age that they had not received any information about Myanmars move to erect a fence along border.
The newly appointed home secretary, Abdus Sobhan Sikder, said that the Coast Guard and the deputy commissioner of Coxs Bazar had told him that a new contingent of troops had been mobilised across the Naaf River, and Myanmar was starting construction of infrastructure for them, not erecting a fence.
After hearing that the military regime of Yangon has mobilised more border guards and stockpiled materials for erecting the fence, the government ordered the Bangladesh Rifles to remain alert along the 200km border with Myanmar.
Quoting an unnamed BDR official in Teknaf, New Ages correspondent from Rangamati reported that jawans of the Bangladesh Rifles have been put on high alert with an additional number of forces.
We have deployed additional forces and ordered them to remain alert. We have been monitoring the situation and are apprising the higher authorities of the latest developments. Myanmar has deployed additional forces from Akiyab to Ghumdhum and stocked the necessary materials at different points to build the fence on the border, an official of the 42nd Battalion of the Bangladesh Rifles, stationed at Teknaf, told the correspondent on Tuesday evening.
Myanmar started deploying additional forces and stocking materials to fence the frontier that stretches from Nainkhiongchhari upazila of Bandarban hill district since March 14 without the consent of Bangladesh, which is a violation of the bilateral accord, observed an official of 15th Battalion of the BDR, which is stationed there. We are ready, alert and vigilant and have gathered additional forces as Nasaka is trying to build a fence inside their territory, added the official.
An official of the foreign ministry told this correspondent that Myanmar reinforced its border since the stand-off in the Bay of Bengal in November when Myanmar intruded into Bangladeshs territorial waters for exploration of oil and gas.
But the ministry did not have any information about the construction of a fence along Bangladesh border.
The foreign ministry official hinted that Bangladesh has no objection to the barbed-wire fence if it is built solely on Myanmars territory, since it would curb smuggling and illegal trespassing.
http://www.newagebd.com/2009/mar/18/front.html#5