Mizo group urges Centre to reinstate Free Movement Regime, revoke border pass on India-Myanmar border

Aizawl: An Aizawl-based Chin-Kuki-Mizo-Zomi group has urged the Centre to reinstate the Free Movement Regime (FMR), which facilitates a visa-free movement across the India-Myanmar border.

The Zo Re-unification Organisation (ZORO), which represents ethnic Zo or Mizo tribes of India, Myanmar and Bangladesh, also demanded the revocation of the order mandating a border pass for people living within 10 km on either side to cross the international border.

Speaking to reporters, the organisation president R Sangkawia on Tuesday said that the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has recently replaced the FMR with a new system to regulate movement across the India-Myanmar border.

The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) in February 2024 had decided to scrap the Free Movement Regime (FMR) between India and Myanmar to ensure the internal security of the country and to maintain the demographic structure of India's North Eastern states bordering Myanmar.

However, officials said that no official notification scrapping the FMR with Myanmar has been issued so far.

As per the new system, which came into effect on January 1 this year, people living within 10 km on either side of the India-Myanmar border will now require a border pass to visit each other, Sangkawia said.

He said that in its letter communicated to the Mizoram chief secretary about the new system on December 24 last year, the MHA said that entry will be regulated from 18 entry/exit points along the India-Myanmar border.

While Zokhawthar and Hnahlan cross points in east Mizoram's Champhai district will be implemented as pilot sites, 3 crossing points in Lawngtlai district will be set up under phase-I and another 13 points in all the six districts, which share border with Myanmar, will be set up under phase-II, the MHA said in the letter, according to Sangkawia.

According to the new guidelines, an individual will now require a "border pass" to travel to and from Myanmar, which will be issued by the Assam Rifles for only people living within 10 km on either side of the border for a stay-of up to 7 days, he said.

An individual seeking the border pass must produce a document or certificate to prove that he or she lives within a 10-km radius of the borders, he said.

The identity proof document can be issued by local police station officer-in-charge or village chief or village authority (administrator).

The MHA letter also said that movement of border residents from Myanmar and India would be allowed for "specific reasons such as visiting relatives, tourism, business, medical treatment and cultural exchange programmes," Sangkawia said.