Guwahati: For Paul Lalhmingthanga, the 35-year-old headmaster of Sunrise Bible School in Khawmawi village on the banks of Myanmar’s Tiau river, crossing over to Zokhawthar in Mizoram is essential. He needs to collect monthly rations for students at his boarding school.
The last Indian border town of Zokhawthar in Champhai district is situated about three km from the Rih Dil lake in Myanmar’s Chin state.
On Friday (January 3), Lalhmingthanga was waiting to collect his border pass from the Assam Rifles checkpoint near the Indo-Myanmar Friendship Bridge. He held a slip of paper issued by the local administrative board and signed by the village council president (VCP) of Tiau Khawmawi village. The slip, which served as his ‘Proof of Identity’ read: “it is certified that the above mentioned person belongs to the place Tiau, which falls within 10km of the Indo-Myanmar border.”
“We travel to Zokhawthar once a month to buy a few items – rice, dal, salt, eggs and potatoes. Our students are taught by teachers from both India and Myanmar. But with the introduction of the border pass system, the teachers, including an American citizen, are finding it difficult to enter Myanmar through Zokhawthar. Earlier, they would cross the border, teach from 9 am to 3 pm, and return,” said Lalhmingthanga.
From the beginning of January 2025, hundreds of Myanmar nationals from various parts of Chin state have been gathering near the Indo-Myanmar Friendship Bridge in Zokhawthar to collect border passes, which are now mandatory for entering Mizoram. This follows new directives from the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) last month to regulate the movement of people living within 10 km of the international border. Mizoram shares a 510-km border with Myanmar.
Along with other state agencies, the paramilitary force of Assam Rifles has been tasked with issuing passes for residents of Champhai in Mizoram and the border towns of Chin State.
Myanmar on the left and India on the right bank of Tio River. Photo: Ericwinny/Wikimedia commons
Chaos over issuing of passes
Locals in Zokhawthar, however, are upset by the sudden turn of events as confusion persists over the issuing of passes. The VCP of Zokhawthar, Lalmuanpuia, said that although the Assam Rifles has tightened security measures following instructions from the Union government, the process could have been smoother if people had been informed in advance.
On Friday, the office of the Superintendent of Police in Champhai district issued a public notice stating that border passes would be issued by the Assam Rifles, the police and medical representatives under the state government. Citing an official communication from the Union home ministry to the Mizoram government on December 24, 2024 and another by the state home government on December 30, 2024, the department elaborated the rules and regulations associated with the system.
An individual applying for a border pass must provide proof of residence within 10 km of the border. The pass shall be valid for seven days. Government sources said children will not require separate passes to accompany an adult, but one adult can take a maximum of three children across. If there are more than three children, an additional pass will be required.
A security official informed this correspondent that the Assam Rifles has activated check posts at two border crossing points – Hnahlan and Zokhawthar in Champhai district.
On the first day (January 1), seven passes were issued exclusively for Indian nationals traveling to Myanmar with valid identification. The next day, 58 of the 60 border passes were for Myanmar nationals who could verify their identity. On January 3, over 100 passes were granted to Myanmar residents entering India.
The official stated that verifying the identity of Myanmar nationals has been challenging, as there is no government authority in the neighboring country to issue valid citizenship documents. People have been requested to get a ‘Proof of Identity’ certificate from the village councils instead.
With the implementation of the new system, the territorial limit under the Free Movement Regime (FMR) has now been reduced by 6 km either side of the porous border. Earlier, the FMR allowed people in border areas to travel 16 km into each other’s territory without visa.
People at the Indo-Myanmar gate in Zokhawthar, Champhai district, Mizoram. Photo: Karishma Hasnat.
Bound by ethnic ties
For decades, tens of thousands of people from Myanmar have crossed the Tiau river – the boundary between India and Myanmar – to enter Mizoram for trade and livelihood options or for meeting family members on this side of the border.
“For Indians, an Aadhar Card is required to cross the border, but Myanmar nationals now require a permission letter from both the local administration as well as from the Hualngoram People’s Organization (HPO), a civil body,” said Lalhmingthanga.
Speaking to this correspondent over phone, the General Secretary of Hualngoram People’s Organisation (HPO), Rodinga, said people living in Zokhawthar (Mizoram) and Khawmawi (Myanmar) are part of “one village, separated by the international border”.
“We are the same, identifying one descendent. Our children attend school in Zokhawthar, and we buy Indian products, properties. The agricultural produce is also bought from the other side. It is in traditional practice that we visit our relatives in India during illness and family issues,” he said.
People living on either side of the India-Myanmar border largely belong to the Kuki-Chin-Zomi-Mizo tribe. Since the February 2021 coup in the neighbouring country, the Mizo population in the border villages have been helping the refugees arriving in India – moved by ethnic and kin ties, as well as human compassion.
Thousands of refugees sought shelter in Champhai every time the military launched air raids over Tiau. According to Mizoram government estimates, 13,986 people are currently taking shelter in the border district, while many have returned to their native lands.
A large number of refugees have been living with their kin in Champhai and many others have rented homes, or are living in temporary accommodation.
In November 2023, the Myanmar military camps in the border town of Rihkhawdar and adjoining Khawmawi village were overrun by the Chin Defense Forces (CDF) and allies including CDF-Hualngoram, the armed wing of the HPO, that was formed in September 2021. Even the resistance fighters battling the military regime are dependent on food and medical supplies from India.
During the winter holidays, tourists from different parts of Mizoram visit the scenic Rihdil and Buannel in Myanmar, both of which hold cultural importance for the Mizo community. An equal number of people cross over into Mizoram from the neighbouring country for the festive season.
‘Lapses could have been avoided’
It has been three years since 45-year-old Jessica L.K. from Kalay in Myanmar’s Sagaing region escaped the military coup and settled in Zokhawthar. Her children have been admitted to the government school in the Indian border town. Jessica said that the chaos and procedural lapses could have been avoided if the authorities had followed a standard operating procedure and informed the villagers beforehand.
“Our work has slowed down because people dependent on shared amenities in the border towns, such as autorickshaw drivers and other transport operators, are struggling to get border passes. Only Aadhar card holders from Champhai district are allowed to visit Myanmar. Many who had travelled from Aizawl and other places to celebrate New Year’s had to return,” she said.
“Nobody has clear answers as to what can be done. The border suddenly feels chaotic and tense. The gate opens Monday-Saturday from 6 am to 3:30 pm. If we cannot return on time, we have to stay in Myanmar until the next day. When changes are made, we need to be prepared. They should have explained things or informed us of a deadline, if any,” she added.
Explaining how people need to travel to either side of the border for several purposes, Jessica said, “Between Mizoram and Myanmar, we use everything 50:50. We drive Kenbo KB125 motorcycles both sides, parts of which are only available in Myanmar. We don’t have proper hospitals in the border towns. We need to travel to Champhai district headquarters or Aizawl for our medical needs.”
The challenges persist
Mizoram has been continually protesting the Union government’s decision to scrap the FMR between the two countries, and the proposed fencing work along the border. In April last year, Union external affairs Minister S. Jaishankar said that it is because of the situation in Myanmar that the central government had taken certain precautions. However, he had also acknowledged that the government is sensitive to the interests of the people, customs and relationships across the border.
While many visit India for business, education and healthcare, some have been exploiting the loopholes in the FMR and entering the country clandestinely for illegal activities. Huge quantities of narcotics and contraband trafficked from Myanmar have been flowing into Mizoram through established smuggling routes in Champhai and Zokhawthar towns.
The massive hauls last year and the apprehension of both Indian and Myanmar nationals in Mizoram have alerted both the government and security agencies. Reports from the ground also indicate that smuggling of weapons and war-like stores along the Indo-Myanmar border increased since the Manipur ethnic conflict in May 2023.
According to data from security sources, narcotics such as Heroin No. 4, worth Rs 245.37 crore, were seized in anti-smuggling operations between January and December 20, 2024. Among those arrested, 164 are Indian citizens and 34 are Myanmar nationals. Further last year, approximately 196.45 kg of methamphetamine tablets, valued at around Rs 580 crores, were recovered in joint operations.
Jessica acknowledged the efforts of security forces in checking cross-border smuggling, but said that strict measures have adversely impacted the majority of the population not involved in drug trafficking.
“Drug smuggling is a serious problem, but it does not occur through the Indo-Myanmar Friendship Bridge. People come to Zokhawthar for their daily needs, not to face hardships. A better system could have been implemented,” she said.
Karishma Hasnat is an independent journalist. With inputs from Isaac Zoramsanga.
