Imphal: Two days after the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) introduced a border pass system for Indian and Myanmar nationals residing within 10 km along the international borders, allowing limited entry into either territory for specific purposes, apex body of majority Meitei community in Manipur on Thursday strongly opposed the notification.

The Coordinating Committee on Manipur Integrity (COCOMI), an umbrella body of the majority Meitei community in Manipur termed the MHA notification of December 24, unfortunate and said that it would harm the interest of the state and its people.

Describing MHA notification as a threat to Manipur’s security and communal harmony, COCOMI Media Coordinator Yumkhaibam Surjit Kumar Khuman on Wednesday accused the Assam Rifles of “bias and of facilitating illegal activities.”

He urged the withdrawal of the notification, saying that such measures would compromise the state’s integrity.

“Already Chin-Kuki narco-terrorists and infiltrators from Myanmar damaged a lot of Manipur and harmed the interest of the people, such an order would further spoil the security, integrity and social harmony of the state,” the COCOMI leader said.

The MHA in a letter to the state Chief Secretary Vineet Joshi on December 24 said that it has introduced a border pass system for Myanmar nationals residing within 10 km of the India-Myanmar border, allowing limited entry into Manipur for specific purposes.

The scheme, communicated to the Manipur government, replaces the previously suspended Free Movement Regime (FMR) and also applies to Manipur residents residing within 10 km of the border visiting Myanmar.

Under the scheme, the Assam Rifles would issue border passes valid for one week for specific purposes such as visiting relatives, tourism, business, medical needs, sports, official duty, border trade affairs, attendance in seminars or conferences and cultural exchange programmes.

Travellers would be required to provide proof of identity and residence, and movement would be strictly regulated within 10 km of the border, the MHA notification said adding that “movement of people from 43 designated crossing points would be granted to holders of ‘Border Pass’ issued by authorised representatives of Assam Rifles.”

According to the MHA notification, the Border Pass would be issued only to one adult person aged 18 years or above and persons below the age of 18 years are to be accompanied by their parents.

“The entry/exit points would be made functional by the deployment of at least two state police representatives and at least two state health representatives at each entry/exit point for smooth implementation of the system,” the MHA notification said.

Manipur has around 400 km of unfenced international border with Myanmar and the Assam Rifles have been guarding the mountainous and difficult border.