E-Paper
Mizoram: Hnahthial district to initiate survey for Indo-Myanmar border fencing
The preliminary survey for the Indo-Myanmar border fencing will take place in Thingsai village in Mizoram’s Hnahthial district
AIZAWL: The Mizoram government has commenced efforts to facilitate the union ministry of home affairs’s decision to fence the 1,643-km-long Indo-Myanmar Border (IMB), according to a government release.
The preliminary survey for the border fencing will take place in Thingsai village in Hnahthial district, with participation from representatives of the offices of the district collector, the superintendent of police (SP), the Border Roads Organisation (BRO), and the Assam Rifles, according to the Mizoram government.
A high-level meeting involving the Border Roads Organisation, Assam Rifles, and the Hnahthial SP, chaired by Hnahthial district cCollector K. Vanlalruati, was held on Wednesday to discuss the feasibility of the IMB fencing in the district.
The statement from the Mizoram government noted that Hnahthial district, located in southeastern Mizoram, has an international entry-exit point at Thingsai. The preliminary survey aims to assess the physical feasibility of the border fencing and gather feedback from local villagers.
Mizoram shares a 510 km-long boundary with Myanmar’s Chin state across six districts: Champhai, Siaha, Lawngtlai, Hnahthial, Saitual, and Serchhip.
The Union Ministry of Home Affairs has imposed restrictions on the Free Movement Regime (FMR) along the 14 entry-exit points along the international border.
Under the revised FMR, residents living within 10 km on either side of the border are required to obtain a border pass to visit each other. This pass, valid for a stay of up to seven days, is available to both Indian and Myanmarese citizens wishing to cross the border. Applicants must provide documentation confirming their residence within the 10-km territorial limit.
These new restrictions, which took effect on December 31, are being enforced by state police, Assam Rifles, and health officials at designated entry and exit points, following guidelines issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs.
In February, the Mizoram Assembly adopted a resolution opposing the Centre’s decision to fence the India-Myanmar border and the stricter regulations of the Free Movement Regime with the neighboring country.
The initiative to fence the IMB has encountered significant opposition from Naga and Kuki-Zo groups in Manipur, as well as various NGOs in Mizoram, who argue that the fencing will disrupt ethnic and familial ties for communities living on both sides of the border.
