The Army's highest-ranking officer in the Eastern Command has said that the Assam Rifles guarding the 1,643-km Myanmar border has been given clear instructions to allow entry not only to villagers seeking refuge from the fighting in the country but even to personnel from the Myanmar army who are pushed into India. The Myanmar army personnel, who are forced to cross the border because of the fighting with the pro-democracy resistance forces in areas close to it, are made to surrender weapons and their identity is established before they are handed over to authorities in Myanmar.