• Source:PTI
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Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh on Saturday said that the state government has requested the Centre to permanently close the Free Movement Regime (FMR) along the India-Myanmar border and complete its fencing.

“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 km inside Indian territory," Singh was quoted as saying by news agency PTI.

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While addressing the reporters, the Manipur CM said that the government will continue to deal with the influx of ‘illegal immigrants’ and emphasised the importance of complete fencing for the India-Myanmar border to curtail the movement of illegal immigrants.

"The Union Home Ministry has taken steps to fence 60 km of the international border in Manipur," the chief minister said.
Free Movement Regime (FMR) allows citizens living along the border on either side to travel up to 16 kilometres inside another country without any documents or visa.

The strife-torn state shares around 390-km-long border with Myanmar. The chief minister also emphasised that the government have to stay focused on issues including an influx of illegal immigrants, fighting massive poppy cultivation, and taking up welfare activities for internally displaced people.

Singh asserted that the government is planning to procure an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) to survey illegal poppy cultivation and destruction of the plants.

The Manipur CM also said that the border fencing work has started a total of 79 km stretch to combat drug trafficking by identifying vulnerable regions.

Earlier in the day, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) arrested a suspected terrorist for his alleged involvement in a transnational conspiracy by Myanmar-based rebel groups to wage a war against the Indian government by exploiting the current ethnic unrest in Manipur.

The violent ethnic clashes erupted in Manipur on May 3 after the tribals of the Kuki community attended a ‘Solidarity March’. (Image: ANI)

Over 160 people have been killed ever since the ethnic clashes erupted in Manipur on May 3 after the tribals of the Kuki community attended a ‘Solidarity March’ to protest against the inclusion of the majority Meitei community in the ST category.

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Meiteis constitute nearly 53 per cent of Manipur's population and live mostly in the Imphal valley, while tribals, including Kukis and Nagas, account for 40 per cent and live primarily in the hill districts.

(With Agency Inputs)