Amit Shah: India to put up fence along Myanmar border

NEW DELHI: In response to the influx of Myanmar army soldiers into India due to ethnic clashes in their home country, Union home minister Amit Shah on Saturday announced that India will be erecting a fence along the border with Myanmar to restrict free movement.
Speaking at the passing out parade of Assam Police commandos, Shah emphasised the importance of securing India’s border with Myanmar, comparing it to the border with Bangladesh.
“The India-Myanmar border will be protected like the Bangladesh border… The Government of India will stop the free movement with Myanmar,” he said.
The Centre recently started the tendering for an advanced smart fencing system for the entire India-Myanmar border.
Soldiers fleeing from rebels
According to media reports citing government sources, an estimated 600 soldiers from the Myanmar army have crossed into India in the past three months.
These soldiers sought shelter in Mizoram’s Lawngtlai district after their camps were captured by the Arakan Army (AA), an ethnic armed group based in the western Myanmar state of Rakhine.
As part of the initiative to enhance border security, India will be implementing a fence along the India-Myanmar border and discontinuing the Free Movement Regime (FMR) between the two countries.

This means that individuals residing in the border regions will soon be required to obtain a visa in order to enter the other country.
The FMR was initially introduced in the 1970s to facilitate the movement of people living along the India-Myanmar border due to their familial and ethnic ties.
(With inputs from agencies)