Myanmarese living within 10km of Manipur border can enter state with a pass: MHA letter

The Union ministry of home affairs on Tuesday informed the Manipur government about a new scheme to allow Myanmar residents who live within 10km of the border into Manipur, but after getting a “border pass” from the Assam Rifles, officials familiar with the matter said, adding that the facility will also be applicable for Manipur’s border residents who wish to visit Myanmar border villages. The MHA’s deputy secretary wrote to the Manipur chief secretary on Tuesday about the new system, under which movement of border residents from Myanmar and India, but within 10km, would be allowed for “specific reasons such as visiting relatives, tourism, business, medical treatment and cultural exchange programmes would be allowed after following certain measures”. A copy of the letter, titled “Deployment of police personnel and health officials at pilot sites of entry/exit points along Indo-Myanmar border”, directed the chief secretary to “appoint at least two police and two health officials at each of the identified entry/exit points of the Assam Rifles company operating bases where the people would be allowed to enter”. The Free Movement Regime at the India-Myanmar border, which allowed border residents from both India and Myanmar along the international border for up to 16km was scrapped by the Biren Singh-led Manipur government last year.