“Leave immediately”, India issues advisory for its nationals in Myanmar

The government of India has decided construct a fence along the entire 1,643 km stretch of India-Myanmar border

Updated: Feb 6th, 2024

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As the civil war in India’s neighbouring country Myanmar continues to fume, the government has issued advisory for the Indians visiting or based in Myanmar. On the sidelines, the government has also announced plans to build a fence along the Indo-Myanmar border.“

"In view of the deteriorating security situation, disruption of means of telecommunications, including landlines, and severe scarcity of essential commodities, all Indian citizens are advised not to travel to the Rakhine State of Myanmar,” said the statement of the ministry of external affairs (MEA) today.

The statement of MEA added, “Those Indian citizens who are already in Rakhine state were advised to leave the state immediately.”

1,643 km-long fence

Amid the unrest in Myanmar, the government of India has decided construct a fence along the entire 1,643 km stretch of India-Myanmar border. 

Commenting on the development, Union home minister Amit Shah said today, “It has been decided to construct a fence along the entire 1,643 km India-Myanmar border. To facilitate better surveillance, 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. Also, 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, the work for which will start soon,” Shah said.

The latest move is considered significant given the vulnerability and threats of the 1,643 km unfenced India-Myanmar border spanning Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Nagaland and Mizoram.

In fact, apart from a 10-km stretch in Manipur, the India-Myanmar border through difficult terrains like hills and forests is unfenced.

The Indian security forces face a tough time dealing with the challenges resulting from the extremist groups carrying out hit-and-run operations from their hidden bases in the Chin and Sagaing regions of Myanmar. 

Drug trafficking

The inward trafficking of drugs and outward trafficking of wildlife body parts across the borders with Myanmar has also been one of the major concerns for India. 

The trigger for the decision to put up fencing is also the conflict that broke out between the majority Meitei and the tribal Kuki-Zo communities in Manipur on May 3, 2023. 

Also, over the past decade, the Manipur government has been expressing concern over the “influx” of Myanmar nationals. Amid the violence in Manipur, a few hundred Myanmar nationals were found taking refuge in the state to escape a civil war back home. 

In September 2023, Manipur chief minister N Biren Singh had blamed the ethnic violence on the free movement of Myanmar nationals into India and urged the ministry of home affairs to end the Free Movement Regime (FMR), which had been suspended on Apr 1, 2020 during the COVID-19 lockdown. 

The suspension was extended after the military coup in Myanmar  in Myanmar in February 2021. 

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