Context: India has sealed all entry factors alongside the border with the southeast Asian neighbour and is carefully monitoring to forestall any Myanmar nationals from getting into the nation.

Issue

• After the coup in Myanmar, at least, 1,000 people from the adjoining Chin State of Myanmar crossed the Border and currently at Mizoram. Since the Chins are ethnically related to the Mizos, The Mizoram government favours providing refuge to the Chins.
• Mizoram Chief Minister held a virtual meeting with Foreign Minister of Myanmar as India has sealed all entry points along the border with the southeast Asian neighbour and is closely monitoring to prevent any Myanmar nationals from entering the country.
• Further, The MHA directives advised Mizoram that India is not a signatory to the UN Refugee Convention of 1951 and its 1967 Protocol. 
• Mizoram at present facing a dilemma between acting on Humanitarian grounds or India’s refugee policy.

Recent Developments in India-Myanmar ties after the Military Coup in Myanmar

• Following the February 1 coup when the Myanmar military overthrew the democratically elected government, around 300 Myanmarese nationals including many policemen have crossed into India and sought refuge.
• There is considerable support and sympathy among the people of Mizoram over the situation in Myanmar as many have relations across the border.
• India and Myanmar have an arrangement called Free Movement Regime (FMR) which allows locals on both sides to go upto 16 km across the other side and stay upto 14 days, however, FMR was suspended due to COVID-2019 and no one has been being allowed since.
• The fallout of this suspension of FMR was that there has been an increase smuggling across the border as the livelihood of people has been disrupted due to the pandemic.
• Recently, no one is being allowed to enter India from Myanmar and the Assam Rifles, which is the border guarding force there, is keeping a close watch after the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) directive.
• However, the border is porous as, (unlike the Bangladesh border of which more than 60% is fenced) the Myanmar border is unfenced and completely blocking it not possible given the tough terrain.
• For central agencies and Assam Rifles on the ground, it is a tricky situation in maintaining a delicate balance in executing the MHA orders and maintaining the cordial relations with the States agencies and the locals.

India-Myanmar Border

• The international border between the India and Myanmar (formerly Burma) is almost 1500 kms long in length and runs from the tripoint with China in the north to the tripoint with Bangladesh in the south.
• The precise location of the tripoint with China is unclear owing to the Sino-Indian border dispute – at present, the de facto tripoint is located just north of the Diphu Pass.
• From here the border proceeds to the south-west through the Mishmi Hills, except for an Indian protrusion at the Chaukan Pass, then continuing through the Patkai and Kassom Ranges.
• At the south-east corner of Manipur, it turns sharply westwards along various rivers for a period over to the Tiau River.
• It then follows this river southwards for a long stretch down to the Chin Hills, before turning west and proceeding to the Bangladeshi tripoint via a series of irregular lines.

Issues in India-Myanmar ties

• The Rohingya crisis: India does not directly engage with the issue of Myanmar’s treatment of its Rohingya Muslim minority. But India condemned the recent terrorist attacks in northern Rakhine State in a measure of support to Myanmar. Further both sides agreed that there will be no glorification of terrorists as martyrs.
• China factor: As China’s profile continues to rise in India’s vicinity, New Delhi would like to enhance India’s presence by developing infrastructure and connectivity projects in the country. India has found it difficult to counter Chinese influence in Myanmar.
• Project Delays: India is losing friends because of widespread discontent over continuing delay in completion of flagship projects — Kaladan and the India-Myanmar-Thailand trilateral highway. Conceived over a decade back, they are scheduled to be completed by 2019.