Mizoram border districts hold meet on trade, FMR enforcement along Indo-Myanmar border
Senior officials from Lawngtlai and Siaha districts held a virtual consultation to review SOPs and strengthen checks against illegal immigration
An image of India-Myanmar border at the Champhai district of Mizoram (Source: @ankushsaikia/ X)
Aizawl, Feb 21: Senior civil and police officials of Mizoram’s southern border districts held a high-level virtual consultation on Thursday to deliberate on trade regulation and stricter enforcement of the Free Movement Regime (FMR) along the Indo-Myanmar border amid growing security concerns in the region.
According to an official press release, the meeting brought together top district administration officials from Lawngtlai and Siaha – both sharing boundary with Myanmar – and resolved to intensify enforcement measures along the border.
The district magistrates of the two adjoining districts agreed that stricter implementation of the FMR and other relevant laws was essential to maintain law and order in vulnerable border areas.
The consultation further decided that the existing Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) governing border movement and trade would be reviewed.
A comprehensive study of the current SOP will be undertaken with the objective of drafting a joint SOP to be implemented by both district administrations. The proposed framework will subsequently be submitted to the State Government for approval.
Officials also agreed to conduct surprise inspections to identify and detect illegal or undocumented immigrants in both districts.
The meeting emphasised coordinated action between civil administration and law enforcement agencies to ensure that cross-border activities remain within the ambit of the law. It was also resolved that another joint consultation would be convened at the earliest to review developments and assess the effectiveness of enforcement measures.