NEW DELHI – The government of India has finally confirmed that it would end the Free Movement Regime (FMR) with Myanmar and would erect a fence along the border.
Union Minister Amit Shah confirmed on Saturday that the entire length of the porous India-Myanmar border would be fenced to curb the free movement of people.
Addressing a ceremony, the minister disclosed that the decision aims to enhance security along the border, likening it to the existing fencing along the Bangladesh border.
The India-Myanmar border spans 1,643 km across the Northeastern states of Manipur, Mizoram, Nagaland, and Arunachal Pradesh, with only 10 km currently fenced in Manipur.
Initially, the countries gave more liberty to the citizens to move around; however, the existing Free Movement Regime (FMR) agreement with Myanmar, established in 2018, permitted tribes residing along the border on both sides to travel up to 16 km inside the other country without a visa and stay for up to two weeks.
With the termination of the FMR and the planned border fencing, individuals entering India from Myanmar will be required to obtain a visa and will face bureaucratic hurdles. The decision is triggered by multiple factors including an influx of illegal immigrants, drug and gold smuggling, and the potential misuse of the visa-free regime by insurgent groups.
The ongoing conflict in Manipur last year raised concerns about “uncontrolled illegal immigration” from Myanmar, leading to instability in the region.
As of now, no timeframe or the cost of fencing has been revealed by the government though the plans in this regard were made last year.
