Union Home Minister Amit Shah announced on Saturday, declaring the decision to implement extensive border fencing along the border of India with Myanmar, mirroring the measures undertaken along the Indo-Bangladesh border. The announcement also included the cessation of free movement between the two countries, marking a strategic shift in the approach of India to border security.
Addressing the passing out parade of the inaugural batch of the five newly-established Assam Police Commando battalions, Home Minister Amit Shah underscored the government’s commitment to fortifying the India-Myanmar border. The decision to replicate the border fencing model utilized along the Indo-Bangladesh frontier reflects a joint effort by the government under Prime Minister Narendra Modi to enhance national security and curb unauthorized movement across international boundaries.
The home minister asserted, “The government under Prime Minister Narendra Modi has decided to fence the entire India-Myanmar border like it has been along the border with Bangladesh.”
The home minister also said that the fencing process along the border of Myanmar will very soon begin and the unrestricted entry of the citizens of Myanmar into the side of India will also be cleared out. The Free Movement Regime (FMR) between both countries allows the people living in the towns of the border to enter to a limit of 16 km inside the other nation without any requirement of visa.
The announcement signals the end of the era of unrestricted movement between India and Myanmar, a policy that had been in place to facilitate cross-border interactions. The Union Home Minister Amit Shah also stated, “Our government is reexamining the Free Movement Regime (FMR) provision that exists with Myanmar, and now this facility, which allows free movement will be stopped.”
In four states, India shares a border with Myanmar which is around 1643 km long. The four states of India that share a border with Myanmar are Mizoram, Nagaland, Manipur, and Arunachal Pradesh. This development came after the newly elected chief minister of Mizoram, Lalduhoma reportedly said to the Union External Minister of India Dr S Jaishankar that border fencing would not be acceptable.