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........

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