07 Feb 2024 at 13:38
India is building a fence of at least 1,643 kilometers along the border with Myanmar. The Indian government wants “impenetrable borders” because of the unrest in the neighboring country.
There has been unrest in Myanmar for years. The army seized power again in 2021, plunging the country into an armed conflict with domestic fighting groups.
The announcement of the construction of a border fence comes in the run-up to the Indian elections later this year. Prime Minister Narendra Modi hopes for a third term in office. According to him, the armed conflict is the reason to build the fence along the border.
Home Minister Amit Shah say that a 10-kilometer fence has already been built in the eastern border state of Manipur. “Two projects are in progress. The fencing will enclose a stretch of 1 kilometer each, in Arunachal Pradesh and Manipur. Besides, a 20 kilometer fence has been approved in Manipur. Work will start soon.”
End of free movement
The fence would end the Free Movement Regime, an arrangement between the two countries that allows tribes living on either side of the border to travel 10 miles within the other country without a visa. This is permitted upon presentation of a border pass, which is valid for one year.
The border between India and Myanmar was demarcated by the British in 1826. The border divided people of the same ethnicity and culture between two countries, without their consent.
Image: AP
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2024-02-07 12:38:41
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