Fencing the Indo-Myanmar border and the proposed scrapping of the FMR is being opposed by Kuki, Mizo and Naga organisations in Manipur, Mizoram and Nagaland. Representative image.
Credit: PTI File Photo
In a prelude to the proposed scrapping of the free movement regime (FMR) with Myanmar officially, Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Tuesday said the government has decided to construct a fence along the entire 1643-km-long border.
Asserting that the Modi government is "committed to building impenetrable borders", he said a patrol track along the border will also be paved.
"Out of the total border length, a 10 km stretch in Moreh, Manipur, has already been fenced. Furthermore, two pilot projects of fencing through a Hybrid Surveillance System (HSS) are under execution. 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 on 'X'.
Shah had recently said that the FMR with Myanmar will be scrapped. However, no such announcement was made on Tuesday as it will be done only after consultations with Myanmar as the FMR is a bilateral agreement.
The announcement of fencing the entire border came even as the north-eastern states had sounded caution about scrapping FMR, as people on both sides have common ethnic roots.
The Free Movement Regime (FMR) is a bilateral arrangement that allows members of the hill tribes from both India or Myanmar and a resident of an area within 16 km on either side to cross the border on the production of a pass and can stay up to two weeks per visit. The move is being opposed by Kuki, Mizo and Naga organisations.
Recently, Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh met Home Minister Amit Shah and had said an important announcement would be coming soon.
The Meiteis of Manipur as well as the Manipur government have been demanding fencing along the India-Myanmar boundary, alleging that the militants based in Myanmar were aiding the Kukis to launch attacks on the Meiteis and the security forces in Manipur. The Meitei MLAs also wrote to the Modi government, claiming that keeping the border open was a threat to national security.