Mizoram protested the decision of Myanmar border shutdown

Hundreds of people in the northeastern Indian state of Mizoram, which borders Myanmar, demonstrated on Wednesday against the Indian central government’s decision to abolish freedom of movement along the border.

There is a Free Movement Regime (FMR) agreement between India and Myanmar that allows people of the same ethnic group living along the two borders to cross the border up to 10 miles without visas or passports. However, after the military coup in Myanmar in 2021, tens of thousands of war refugees took refuge on the Indian side, the right-wing Indian central government has announced that the right-wing Indian central government will cancel the right of entry and exit on both sides of the border as India increases border security.

Demonstrators in Mizoram’s capital Aizawl on Wednesday also opposed the decision to fence the border along the 1,025-mile long India-Myanmar border. Chuantea, leader of the Central Young Mizo Association, one of the five civil society groups that organized the protest, told AP that “there are families on the other side of the India-Myanmar border, so we request that freedom of movement be maintained.”

Most of the refugees who fled from Myanmar to Mizoram state are the Kuki-Zo ethnic group, which is the same tribe as the Mizo people who live in northeastern India. Lalhmachhuana, one of the protest leaders, told AP that the request to close the border was made by the state of Manipur. Manipur state has been in ethnic conflict since May last year and at least 150 people have been killed. Prime Minister Biren Singh once accused “mercenary forces” from the Myanmar side of inciting the unrest.

In India’s far-flung northeastern region, there have long been armed groups demanding independence and self-governance. The Indian government often accuses these groups of having links with some ethnic groups on the Myanmar side and often monitors them.

India has Myanmar and Manipur; Mizoram, Assam The states of Nagaland and Arunachal Pradesh share a border and most of the border is unfenced. India’s home ministry announced earlier this month that it will ban visa-free entry and exit between India and Myanmar. (Source: VOA)