MHA announces suspension of free movement between India, Myanmar citing internal security
THE JHARKHAND STORY DESK New Delhi, Feb 8: In order to protect the nation’s internal security and preserve the demographic structure of…
Image: Mangalore Today
THE JHARKHAND STORY DESK
New Delhi, Feb 8: In order to protect the nation’s internal security and preserve the demographic structure of India’s northeastern regions that border Myanmar, Union Home Minister Amit Shah declared on Thursday the “immediate suspension of Free Movement Regime (FMR)” between India and Myanmar.
“Since the Ministry of External Affairs is currently in the process of scrapping it, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has recommended the immediate suspension of the FMR,” Amit Shah stated.
Move to preserve demographic composition of India’s northeast, internal security
The statement was made by the Home Minister in a post on X, who stated that the goal of doing away with the FMR between India and Myanmar is to protect national security while preserving the demographic composition of India’s northeastern states that border Myanmar.
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“It is Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s resolve to secure our borders. The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has decided that the Free Movement Regime (FMR) between India and Myanmar be scrapped to ensure the internal security of the country and to maintain the demographic structure of India’s North Eastern States bordering Myanmar. Since the Ministry of External Affairs is currently in the process of scrapping it, MHA has recommended the immediate suspension of the FMR,” the Union Home Minister stated in the post.
It is Prime Minister Shri @narendramodi Ji's resolve to secure our borders.
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The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has decided that the Free Movement Regime (FMR) between India and Myanmar be scrapped to ensure the internal security of the country and to maintain the demographic…
— Amit Shah (Modi Ka Parivar) (@AmitShah) February 8, 2024
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Earlier on Tuesday, Amit Shah revealed intentions to border the entire 1,643-kilometre boundary with Myanmar, potentially signalling the conclusion of the Free Movement Regime (FMR), which permitted border inhabitants to travel 16 kilometres into each other’s territory without official paperwork.
Unrest in Myanmar following military coup
Ever since the military overthrew the government in a coup on February 1, 2021, there have been numerous violent protests across Myanmar calling for the return of democracy.
Since October of last year, there have been reports of intense fighting between armed ethnic groups and the Myanmarese military in Rakhine state and many other regions.
In numerous important Myanmarese towns and areas close to the Indian border, the two sides’ confrontations have increased dramatically since November, raising anxieties in New Delhi about potential consequences for the security of Manipur and Mizoram.
