Cox’s Bazaar, Bangladesh: Tension has escalated again on the Burma-Bangladesh border after Burma restarted the barbed wire fencing and mobilized its troops along the border on October 2, according to Bangladesh Rifles (BDR) sources.
Local sources said erecting the fence from pillar No 41 to 45 on their side by the Burmese border security force, Nasaka, under the supervision of the Burmese Army and additional deployment of military forces has increased tension in the border area.
Some residents of Ghumdhum area said they saw Burmese army personnel were patrolling on their side. They apprehend that Burma has increased the military deployment to resume exploration of oil and gas in the Bay of Bengal.
Dr Mahmud Ullah, a resident of the area, said he has seen the members of Burmese Army's engineering corps set up concrete pillars about 100 metres from the zero line.
“They completed setting up concrete pillars up to international border pillar No 31, adjacent to the proposed Bangladesh-Burma link road till October 3,” he added.
Dr Mahmud expressed his apprehension that the Burmese were preparing to resist the attacks of its anti-government guerrillas and lay anti-personnel mines to prevent what they describe as "illegal infiltration of Bangladeshis".
He said he had learnt from different sources that after setting up the barbed wire fences on the pillars, the Burmese would plant anti-personnel mines.
Earlier, Burma had planted land mines and anti-personnel mines on its own territory to resist guerrilla movement against the military junta in the 90s.
After a gap of about two months, Burmese authorities on October 2 morning resumed setting up pillars to fence from Taungbru in Naikhyangchhari of Bandarban hill district to Bilaichhari of Rangamati, said Major Sajjad, Acting Commander 17 Rifles Battalion, on October 3.
“We have nothing to do as they are doing it inside their territory, but we are closely observing everything,” said BDR’s 17th Battalion Commander Major Sajjad.
Meanwhile, BDR members were kept on high alert along the border and patrolling has also been increased.
The border security force of Burma (Nasaka), earlier, began erecting a fence from Taungbru border to Reju Amtali in Naikhongchhari Upazila, according to local residents from the border.
The Prime Minister’s Office has been informed about the erection of barbed-wire fences along the border by the Myanmar Government, ignoring the international law, according to Deputy Commissioner Mizanur Rahman.
Deputy Commissioner, Mizanur Rahman, told journalists on October 2, that a number of BDR on the Border observation posts (BoPs) along Bangladesh border have been increased following Burmese additional military deployment. He said Burmese authorities should not take any step, which might deteriorate relations between the two countries.
The Burmese authorities have ignored repeated requests from Bangladesh to meet for talks to reduce the tension over the fencing, BDR sources said.
“Efforts are underway to arrange a top-level meeting of the border forces of the two countries,” according to the BDR’s Director General, Major General Mainul Islam.
“The local sector commander of the BDR wrote to the Burmese side repeatedly through the border observation posts in this regard but, there has been no response yet,” he stated.
“We are closely monitoring the developments as Burma is putting up the fences 150 feet from the zero point as agreed to by the two countries in the border agreement,” the BDR chief said.
Nasaka, the Burmese border security force, had deployed an additional company on the border a fortnight ago, as part of its preparations for resumption of the fencing, which they had suspended two months ago, sources in the BDR said.
Burma started erecting a barbed-wire fence along its border with Bangladesh in November last year, as its naval ships intruded into Bangladeshi maritime boundary. It has already erected pillars on 75 kilometres along the border town of Maungdaw, the sources said.
The border situation between the two countries has been tense since Burma started erecting fences and attempted offshore exploration of oil and gas in the Bay areas also claimed by Bangladesh.
Local sources said the Burmese government has increased mental torture of Arakanese Rohingya Muslim citizens in recent times. Sources said Burma might have a plan to push a big number of Arakanese Rohingyas into Bangladeshi territory.
A Bangladeshi people's representative preferring anonymity said the Burmese government has a plan to set up barbed wires on the concrete pillars on about the 35 km long border from international pillar No 31 to No 57. After completion of the work, Burma could start exploring unilaterally oil and gas in the Bay of Bengal by deploying army members.
