An umbrella body of transporters’ associations based in Myanmar border Champhai district has staged an indefinite blockade on all goods illegally imported from the neighboring country of Myanmar to protest against the alleged one-sided crackdown on smuggled areca nuts in the state.
The indefinite strike, which came days after the torching of about 300 bags of smuggled areca nuts by volunteers in western Mizoram’s Mamit district recently, started last Wednesday.
A leader of Champhai District Lirther Inzawmkhawm Pawl (CDLIP) said that the strike took hold in all parts of Champhai district in protest against the biased approach to stopping the transportation of only Burmese areca nuts among all goods illegally entering from Myanmar. He alleged that almost all goods, including vegetables and fruits coming from Myanmar are illegally imported to Mizoram.
“The CDLIP believes that the crackdown on lone areca nuts among all smuggled goods is a biased and irrational approach. It is seen as an insult and an attempt to disturb one of the main sources of income of the Champhai people,” he said, adding that no illegal goods from Myanmar had entered the state since Wednesday.
Source: eastmojo.com