NEW DELHI, Jan 30 � The UPA �II Government�s move to restrict free movement across the international border by introducing border pass regime in the north eastern States bordering Myanmar has met with resistance.
One of the first to oppose the move is Nagaland Chief Minister N Rio, who said that the proposal would create new difficulties and might disturb peace. At least four north eastern States of Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Nagaland and Mizoram have direct land boundary with Myanmar.
The open border policy followed by the both India and Myanmar should not be disturbed as it was working well, Rio said, advocating status quo. ��We should not disturb the present peaceful situation and create a new problem where it did not exist,�� Rio said.
Delivering a keynote address at a two-day international conference on �Myanmar: Bridging South and Southeast Asia� being held at the Jamia Millia University, Rio observed that such a move by officials would be �cumbersome and impracticable��.
The Nagaland Chief Minister said the open border policy was especially important for his State because many Naga villages sit right on the international boundary, which happened due to the fact that Indo-Myanmar border was drawn on the basis of watershed, and since Nagas by tradition built villages on the hilltops, many of these villages were cut into two by the international boundary.
The Centre has been planning to impose tighter curb on movement across the border.
