The 1,643-km Indo-Myanmar border (IMB) runs from the trijunction with Tibet in the north to the trijunction with Bangladesh in the south. It is perhaps one of the most remote and challenging boundaries running along the Great Himalayan range in the North and its offshoot, the Patkai to the South. The entire border is a dense forest with thick secondary vegetation, making it extremely difficult to negotiate. Road, rail, air, telecommunications, and logistics infrastructure are almost non-existent.
It is inhabited by the various sub-tribes of Mishmi, Naga, and Zomi who are spread in Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Manipur and Mizoram which share this border with Myanmar. All these states have been afflicted with insurgency and inter-tribal conflicts at some or other time, making this region insecure for meaningful development activity. The IMB is guarded by nearly 20 battalions of Assam Rifles, many of which also perform dual roles as they are deployed on the counter-insurgency grid under the operational control of the Indian Army.
The IMB, in its present form, was created in 1937 when India and Myanmar were partitioned by the British. This partition created a boundary along the Patkai and divided the closely knit tribal populations with deep ethnic and family connections between the two countries. After the formal delineation of the IMB In 1968, the government of India, to facilitate the movement of populations on the two sides, declared a 40-kilometre free movement regime (FMR) for the people of the bordering areas. Subsequently, in 2010, it was reduced to 16-kilometer on both sides. This provision has been extensively used by people from both countries to move to and from and maintain relations and contact. In 2018, the FMR arrangement was formalised by both countries as the Land Border Crossing Agreement (LBXA).
ALSO READ: Defence ministry year-end review: 'LAC tensions ease, but region continues to be sensitive'
The critics of the FMR consider this provision as the major factor for trans-border smuggling of drugs and weapons, and the movement of refugees and armed insurgents. While it is true that the IMB is exploited by the insurgents and other criminal elements to move people, weapons, drugs and other contraband, it is also a fact that a significant quantity of heroin and methamphetamine produced in the “golden triangle” is moved into India through the rebel-controlled areas of Myanmar.
Although the FMR is not responsible for this because the IMB is extremely porous and Assam Rifles is so thin on ground that anti-national and criminal elements do not require the provisions of FMR to move across the border. They can easily circumvent the border guarding outposts, taking cover of thick vegetation and inclement weather.
In February 2024, the Indian government took a long-awaited decision to fence the IMB and improve its surveillance. This decision came after the violence in Manipur, during which it was believed that the porous border had facilitated the influx of a large number of Myanmar nationals. While the decision to fence the IMB was a welcome step, the news of the ending of the FMR came as a surprise. Most security experts know that the FMR provisions do not contribute significantly to this illegal influx. The ending of the FMR also annoyed the tribal populations of the Northeast who felt that the government was not displaying sensitivity towards them by taking this decision.
The ministry of home affairs has now introduced a fresh protocol to regulate the movement of people living within 10 kilometres on either side of the international border. According to the new guidelines, a citizen crossing the border from India to Myanmar will be given a 'border pass' by the Assam Rifles for a stay up to seven days in Myanmar. For entry into India from Myanmar, individuals will have to report at the designated border crossing points where the Assam Rifles will carry out the requisite documentation at the time of entry and exit. The period of stay under the FMR for Myanmar nationals is also kept at seven days.
The continuation of the FMR with stricter protocols is a positive development which should assuage the feelings of the people of the Northeast and at the same time address the security concerns of the country. The government, however, will have to empower the Assam Rifles with more resources to ensure that the improved provisions of the FMR are implemented properly.
The government should also expeditiously take steps to strengthen the border guarding mechanism on the IMB. The fencing of the IMB must commence immediately. However, being capital-intensive, it will take a long time to be completed. In the meantime, the government should consider increasing the satellite coverage in the region combined with the induction of unarmed aerial vehicles for effective surveillance. The number of border guarding units of Assam Rifles should also be increased because the current number is just not enough to carry out effective patrolling and management of the border.
(The author is a retired Major General of the Indian Army. He commanded a mountain division on the India-China border.
Views expressed in the column belong to the author and not the organization)