Lawngtlai plans strict guidelines to regulate cross-border trading

Aizawl: Donny Lalruatsanga, deputy commissioner of Lawngtlai district, said on Monday said stringent guidelines must be formulated to regulate unregulated trading activities involving foreigners in the border district between Myanmar and Bangladesh.At a meeting with newly elected leaders of the central Young Lai Association (YLA), Lalruatsanga said multiple measures were needed to address the entry of foreigners into Lawngtlai and called for the formulation of an SOP for dealing with trade involving foreigners. He appealed to the CYLA leaders for cooperation with the district administration in this regard.The deputy commissioner also sought coordinated efforts from civil society to tackle the drug menace under the ongoing state-wide “Operation Jericho”, launched to check drug trafficking from across the Myanmar border. He appealed for stronger vigilance by the Drug Reduction Squad formed by the CYLA.Lawngtlai district remains a major hub of unregulated trade with Myanmar’s Rakhine state and southern Chin state despite repeated attempts to curb unofficial border commerce that has been draining essential commodities, including fuel, to the neighbouring country.Trade in essential goods has benefited not only locals in Rakhine and Chin states but also the Arakan Army (AA), the most powerful ethnic armed organisation in Myanmar fighting the military junta. The AA operates mainly in Rakhine state and also dominates Paletwa township in southern Chin state. The proposed Kaladan Multi Modal Transit Transport Project road is to pass from Lawngtlai to Sittwe port in Myanmar.