IMPHAL, 23 Sep: Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh on Saturday said that his government has urged the union home ministry to cancel the free movement regime along the India-Myanmar border and complete its fencing.
The free movement regime allows people residing close to both sides of the India-Myanmar border to venture 16 kms deep into each other’s territory without any document.
Addressing reporters here, he said that the government will continue to deal with the influx of “illegal immigrants” and stressed the need for complete fencing of the India-Myanmar border.
“The union home ministry has taken steps to fence 60 kms of the international border in Manipur,” he said.
The CM claimed that the present situation is a result of unplanned policies of the previous governments, and not an immediate aftermath of any recent decision.
“Our government has requested the union home ministry to cancel the free movement regime. Also, security forces have not properly guarded the border. Instead of being deployed at zero point, they were found guarding the border 14-15 kms inside Indian territory,” he claimed.
“We have to stay focused on real issues in the state, namely, dealing with influx of illegal immigrants, taking up welfare activities for internally displaced people, and fighting massive poppy cultivation,” he said.
More than 175 people have been killed and several hundreds injured since ethnic violence broke out in Manipur on 3 May.
There are allegations that illegal immigrants from Myanmar were behind the recent violence. Manipur shares around 390-km-long border with Myanmar.
A Meitei organisation has also asserted that the over four-month-long strife is a manifestation of the tension over deforestation, illegal opium poppy cultivation and change in demography in certain areas of the state mainly caused by illegal immigrants from Myanmar.
It is alleged that firearms were supplied to militants in Manipur from Myanmar. (PTI)
