New Delhi: India’s Home Minister, Amit Shah, has declared plans to fortify the border with Myanmar, aiming to curb unrestricted entry into India. This announcement follows a surge in Myanmar soldiers seeking refuge in India to escape ongoing ethnic conflicts. During the Assam Police commandos’ passing-out parade, Shah emphasized that India’s border with Myanmar will be secured similarly to the border with Bangladesh.
Over the past three months, approximately 600 Myanmar Army soldiers have crossed into India, seeking sanctuary in Mizoram’s Lawngtlai district after their camps fell to the Arakan Army (AA) militants—an ethnic armed group in Myanmar’s Rakhine state, as reported by government sources.
To address the escalating situation, India intends to construct a fence along the border, leading to the termination of the Free Movement Regime (FMR) between the two nations. This move will necessitate residents of border areas to obtain a visa for entry into the neighboring country. The FMR, established in the 1970s to accommodate familial and ethnic ties along the India-Myanmar border, will be replaced by a more regulated border control system.
In response to the influx of Myanmar Army personnel, the Mizoram government has urgently appealed to the Central government, urging swift measures to repatriate soldiers from the neighboring nation. The ongoing conflict in Myanmar has intensified as rebel forces and the junta-regime clash, posing a significant challenge to Myanmar’s military leaders who seized power in a coup in 2021. Ethnic minority forces launched a coordinated offensive in late October, capturing towns and military posts, prompting Myanmar Army personnel to seek asylum in India.
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