India To Fence Myanmar Border As Ethnic Conflict Spills Over, Ends Free Movement

New Delhi: In response to the influx of Myanmar Army soldiers into India, Home Minister Amit Shah announced on Saturday that the government will tighten the security at the India-Myanmar border and treat it like the Bangladesh border. He made the announcement at the passing out parade of the first batch of the five new Assam Police Commando battalions, where he said the Centre is reconsidering the free-movement agreement with Myanmar.

“The Government of India will stop the free movement with Myanmar. The India-Myanmar border will be protected like the Bangladesh border,” he declared. Shah also praised the law and order situation of the country under the leadership of PM Narendra Modi in the last 10 years, and claimed that there has been a significant improvement.

He criticised the Congress, accusing them of corruption and nepotism in government jobs during their rule, and asserted that no one has to pay any bribe for employment under the BJP government.

He also expressed his pride and joy over the consecration ceremony in Ayodhya, where Lord Ram would return home after 550 “disrespectful” years. “It’s a matter of pride for entire India,” he said, adding that it was happening at a time when the country was on its way to becoming a superpower.

The decision was made as the ethnic conflict in Myanmar’s Rakhine state intensified, forcing hundreds of soldiers to flee their posts and seek shelter in India. Nearly 600 Myanmar Army soldiers have taken refuge in Mizoram’s Lawngtlai district in the past three months, after their camps were overrun by the Arakan Army (AA) militants.

The AA is an armed group that claims to represent the Rakhine people, a predominantly Buddhist ethnic minority in Myanmar. The AA has been fighting the Myanmar government for greater autonomy and rights since 2015.