India Decides To Fence Entire Border With Myanmar

The 1,643-kilometer India-Myanmar border will be fenced, as revealed on Tuesday by Union Home Minister Amit Shah. The action may effectively terminate the Free Movement Regime (FMR) that is in place along the porous border.

People living near the border between India and Myanmar are permitted to enter each other’s country for up to 16 kilometers without a document thanks to the FMR. FMR is currently in place along the 1,643-kilometer India-Myanmar border, which runs through Mizoram, Manipur, Nagaland, and Arunachal Pradesh. As a component of India’s Act East policy, it was unveiled in 2018.

A demand from the Imphal valley

The Meitei communities residing in the Imphal Valley have consistently demanded fencing along the border, citing the porous border as a common entry point for tribal militants into India. Additionally, the Meitei organizations claim that drugs are being transported into India by means of the open international border.

Government commits to nation’s security

In a post on X, Shah said the Narendra Modi government is committed to building impenetrable borders. “It has decided to construct a fence along the entire 1643-kilometer-long Indo-Myanmar border. To facilitate better surveillance, a patrol track along the border will also be paved,” he said.

A 10-kilometer section of the border in Moreh, Manipur, has already been fenced, according to the home ministry. Additionally, two trial projects utilizing hybrid monitoring systems for fencing are now being carried out.

“They will fence a stretch of 1 km each in Arunachal Pradesh and Manipur. Additionally, fence works covering approx 20 km in Manipur have also been approved, and the work will start soon,” he said.

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Myanmar India borders

Manipur and Myanmar have a border spanning around 390 kilometers, of which only 10 km have been gated to yet. The state administration released information about almost 700 unauthorized immigrants entering the state in July of last year.

In addition, thousands of anti-Junta insurgents have entered Mizoram following the military takeover of Myanmar on February 1, 2021. Government estimates indicate that thousands of refugees have fled the coup and are now residing in various sections of Mizoram. Mizoram and Myanmar are separated by 510 km of border.