The Zo Re-unification Organisation (ZORO), representing the Chin-Kuki-Mizo-Zomi communities, has called on the Indian government to reinstate the Free Movement Regime (FMR), which previously allowed visa-free travel across the India-Myanmar border. The ZORO, representing ethnic Zo or Mizo tribes in 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.
In a statement to the press on Tuesday, ZORO President R Sangkawia explained that the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) had recently replaced the FMR with a new system aimed at regulating movement across the border, effective January 1, 2025.
This change followed the MHA’s February 2024 decision to end the FMR to bolster national security and protect the demographic integrity of northeastern states bordering Myanmar.
However, no formal cancellation of the FMR has been issued.
Under the new system, individuals within the 10 km border zone must secure a pass from the Assam Rifles to cross into Myanmar. Each pass permits a seven-day stay and requires proof of residence within the border zone, verified by local authorities such as the police or village chiefs.
Sangkawia revealed that the MHA’s December 24, 2024 communication to Mizoram’s chief secretary outlined the details of the new system. The directive regulates movement through 18 designated entry and exit points along the border. The first phase includes crossing points at Zokhawthar and Hnahlan in Champhai district, with subsequent phases extending to other points in Lawngtlai district and six border-sharing districts in Mizoram.
The MHA outlined that border crossings would be restricted to specific purposes such as visiting relatives, tourism, business, medical treatment, and cultural exchanges.
ZORO has expressed concern about the new system, arguing that the reinstatement of the FMR is crucial for preserving the traditional free movement of people across the India-Myanmar border, which has long been a vital aspect of the cultural and familial ties in the region. (With PTI inputs)