AIZAWL: India’s External Affairs Minister, S Jaishankar has declared that the move to fence the Indo-Myanmar border and end the Free Movement Regime (FMR) was imperative to safeguard the country’s security interests.
Speaking on the sidelines of the manifesto-launch event of the BJP in Aizawl, the External Affairs Minister said that the decision comes against the backdrop of thousands of refugees fleeing Myanmar and seeking shelter in the Northeast, particularly Mizoram, following the military coup in February 2021.
“I think the security of our country, security of our states, including Mizoram, require us to take certain precautions. But the precautions that we are taking are in response to a certain situation. Right now, our neighbour is going through a very difficult phase. If things were normal in Myanmar, this would not have happened,” Jaishankar told a national news agency.
Expressing sensitivity to the cultural and traditional ties across the border, Jaishankar reassured that the government prioritises the interests of people, traditions, customs, and relationships.
The Indo-Myanmar border fencing and the abolition of the FMR, which allowed border residents to venture 16 km into each other’s territory without a visa, were decisions made by the Centre in February.
With India sharing a 1,643-kilometer-long border with Myanmar, and Mizoram particularly sharing a 510-kilometer border, the move holds significant implications for the region.
However, the decision has been met with strong opposition from the Mizoram government, civil society organisations, and student bodies.
They argue that the border fence and the end of the FMR could disrupt the close ties between ethnic communities of the two countries, particularly the Mizos and the Chins, who share ethnic connections.
Earlier on February 28, the Mizoram Assembly took a decisive stand against the Centre’s decision by passing a resolution, vehemently opposing the border fencing and the abolition of the FMR.
