Mizoram cabinet reiterates opposition to Indo-Myanmar border fencing

Aizawl: The Mizoram cabinet has reiterated its opposition to the Centre’s proposal to fence the Indo-Myanmar border, while acknowledging that the state has no constitutional authority to block the move, an official said.

At a high-level meeting chaired by Chief Minister Lalduhoma on Wednesday, the Council of Ministers reaffirmed Mizoram’s long-standing stand against fencing the 510-km stretch of the international boundary that runs through the state, citing the risk of irreversible social and ethnic consequences.

At the same time, the cabinet recognised that border management falls under the Union List of the Constitution, limiting the state government’s ability to formally intervene.

“The cabinet stands by its original position opposing the fencing. However, since border management is a Central subject, the state government does not have the power to legally obstruct the initiative,” the official said.

The decision follows a unanimous resolution passed by the Mizoram Assembly in February 2024 opposing both the proposed fencing and the suspension of the Free Movement Regime (FMR), which had historically allowed ethnic communities to cross the border without visas.

The cabinet’s position reflects sustained pressure from influential civil society groups, including the Mizo Zirlai Pawl (MZP) and the Zo Reunification Organisation (ZORO), which represents Chin-Kuki-Mizo communities across national boundaries. In a joint memorandum submitted to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on January 16, the organisations argued that the proposed fence violates the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, which safeguards the rights of indigenous communities divided by international borders.

They warned that the construction of a physical barrier would create a deep physical and psychological divide among ethnic Mizo communities living on both sides of the border.

Concerns have intensified since the Centre suspended the FMR in late December 2024 and introduced a new protocol requiring border passes for cross-border movement. Under the earlier arrangement, ethnic communities were permitted to travel up to 16 km across the border without visas, helping preserve social, cultural and economic ties that predate the 1826 Treaty of Yandaboo.

The issue has particular resonance in Mizoram, where six districts share a border with Myanmar’s Chin State. Ethnic and familial links remain strong, and the state currently hosts more than 30,000 displaced people who fled Chin State following Myanmar’s military coup in 2021.

Adding to the state’s advocacy efforts, leaders of the Central Young Mizo Association (CYMA) met Union Home Secretary Govind Mohan in New Delhi in late January to convey concerns over the potential social, ethnic and cultural impact of the proposed border fencing.