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Rallies echoed through Mizoram’s Champhai district on Thursday as residents took to the streets to protest the Centre’s decision to fence the India-Myanmar border, putting an end to the free movement regime with the neighbouring country.
In Champhai’s Zokhawthar and Vaphai villages, situated along the India-Myanmar border, peaceful protests were organized by the Zo Re-Unification Organisation (Zoro). The rallies drew participation from both sides of the border, with many residents of neighbouring Myanmar joining the demonstrations.
The day commenced with a rally in Vaphai at 7 am, lasting until 10 am. Subsequently, another procession began in Zokhawthar, home to the India-Myanmar Friendship Gate, at 11 am and is ongoing.
Zoro, a Mizo group advocating for the reunification of Chin-Kuki-Mizo-Zomi tribes across India, Bangladesh, and Myanmar, spearheaded the protests.
Thousands of individuals flooded the streets of Vaphai, while around 7,000 protesters rallied in Zokhawthar, demonstrating the widespread opposition to the border fencing decision. Despite efforts to close the Friendship Gate to prevent any untoward incidents, hundreds of individuals from Myanmar participated in the rallies.
At the India-Myanmar Friendship Gate in Zokhawthar, demonstrators exchanged waves and voiced their dissent against the Indian government’s move to fence the international border, restricting the long-standing tradition of free movement between the two regions.
Under the free movement regime (FMR), individuals were allowed to traverse up to 16 kilometres on both sides of the international border, fostering close ties between communities on either side.
Mizoram, with its 510-kilometer border with Myanmar’s Chin state, shares deep ethnic connections with the Chin community. The decision to fence the border has sparked concerns among residents and officials alike, fearing it will disrupt the close-knit relationship between the two countries’ ethnic communities.
In the Tengnoupal district in Manipur, where widespread displeasure with the Centre’s decision is also felt, this protest has become more visible. Protesters demanded a review of the decision to fence the India-Myanmar border and urged the Centre to reconsider its stance on abolishing the FMR with Myanmar. Mizoram, currently hosting over 34,000 refugees from Myanmar’s Chin state following a military coup in February 2021, stands at the forefront of the opposition against the border fencing decision.