Aizawl: Mara Thyutlia Py (MTP), the largest civil society organisation in south Mizoram’s Siaha district, decided to call off the indefinite trade embargo at unregulated border trade points with Myanmar’s southern Chin state and Rakhine state from 4 pm on Thursday.The move was taken at the executive meeting of MTP held in Siaha town.MTP said the decision to lift the embargo at Khaikhy, Lomasu and Lodaw entry points has been taken after leaders of the civil society held talks with the United League of Arakan (ULA), an insurgent group based in Rakhine state and fighting the Myanmar military junta, at the MTP general headquarters conference hall in Siaha on Thursday morning.The MTP delegation was led by its president, S Vabeihasa, and vice-president, FC Khihnia. ULA was represented by border relations officer Chonai and county administrator Nan Zing, MTP said in a statement.According to the statement, the delegation of ULA and its armed wing, the Arakan Army, expressed regret over the Sept 14 incident at Khaikhy village, where traders and boatmen from Rakhine state allegedly attacked an MTP duty post following a misunderstanding over the rotation of boats transporting goods to Myanmar.The ULA representatives also said they wish to have a good working relationship with MTP in the future, the statement said.MTP had announced the suspension of all trade activities with Rakhine and southern Chin states from 7 pm on Sept 16 after a report on the altercation between Rakhine traders and transporters and MTP volunteers at Khaikhy village.The report was submitted by MTP’s Phura sub-headquarters on Tuesday after an on-the-spot study of the Sept 14 incident.Khaikhy, Lomasu and Lodaw villages are the main hubs for unregulated border trade between the southern part of Mizoram and Myanmar’s Rakhine and Chin states. Over 100 pick-up trucks transport goods to Khaikhy village every day, while more than 100 boats carry the goods from the Salalui river to Salachhuah village in the Rakhine state of Myanmar.
