Aizawl: People living within 16km on either side of the Indo-Myanmar border will now require a permit, with the Centre introducing a border pass system to move within the free-movement zone.

Lunglei district additional deputy commissioner Benjamin Lalzama said this in a meeting on the free-movement regime along the international boundary on Wednesday, an official release said on Thursday.

India and Myanmar have a visa-free movement regime for people living within 16km on either side of the border and a stay period of 72 hours. But, according to a directive of the Union home ministry, these people will now require a border pass to cross into and move within 16km on either side of the border, Lalzama told the meeting at Lunglei town, headquarters of Lunglei district which shares its border with Myanmar on the east.

The meeting was attended by officials of police and Assam Rifles, land revenue and settlement and representatives of civil societies. It agreed that the number of biometric enrolment and land demarcation of villages in Lunglei district, which fall within 16km of the international border, should be verified.

The meeting also resolved to intimate the home ministry about carrying out awareness campaigns on free movement regime for people living within 16km of the border. Thingsai police station in Lunglei will issue border passes, it added.

Japan Ralliantawna, president of Young Mizo Association of Zokhawthar village on the Mizoram-Myanmar border, told this correspondent that the border pass system was likely to affect the free movement of people living along the border. He said people living on either side of the border used to keep in contact because of their ethnic ties.

During a meeting of Northeast chief ministers on security along the Indo-Myanmar border last year, Mizoram chief minister Lal Thanhawla had said the free zone should be extended from 16km to 60km and that the duration of stay in both the countries should be made 60 days instead of 72 hours.

"For us in Mizoram, due to our ethnic ties with the people on the other side of the Myanmar border, we would welcome a 60km free zone and a stay period of up to 60 days as against 72 hours," Lal Thanhawla had said.

He had also asked the Centre to make use of the traditional and cultural ties of the Zo people to promote trade and business as part of its Act East policy.