The India–Myanmar border is the international border between India and Myanmar (formerly Burma). The border is 1643km (1,021miles) in length and runs from the tripoint with China in the north to the tripoint with Bangladesh in the south.[1]
The trijunction between India, China and Myanmar is not yet agreed between the three nations. The de facto tripoint is located just north of the Diphu Pass.[2] From here the border proceeds to the south-west through the Mishmi Hills, except for an Indian protrusion at the Chaukan Pass, then continuing through the Patkai and Kassom Ranges. At the south-east corner of Manipur it turns sharply westwards along various rivers for a period over to the Tiau River. It then follows this river southwards for a long stretch down to the Chin Hills, before turning west and proceeding to the Bangladeshi tripoint via a series of irregular lines.[2]
The first formation of the Indo-Burmese border was through the First Anglo-Burmese War, which resulted in the Treaty of Yandabo in 1826.The Burmese relinquished control over Assam, Manipur, Rakhine (Arakan), and the Taninthayi coast, thereby delimiting much of the modern boundary in general terms.[3] [4] In 1834 the Kabaw Valley areas was returned to Burma and a modified boundary delimited in this region, dubbed the 'Pemberton line' after a British commissioner, which was later refined in 1881.[2] In 1837 the Patkai Hills were unilaterally designated as the northern boundary.[2]
Large swathes of Burma were annexed to the British Empire following the Second Anglo-Burmese War of 1852–53.[5] The remainder of Burma was conquered in 1885 and incorporated into British India.[6] [7] [8]
In 1894 a boundary between Manipur and the Chin Hills (recognized as part of Burma) was delimited, and the existing 'Pemberton line' boundary modified again in 1896. Further boundary modifications were made in 1901, 1921 and 1922.
In 1937 Burma was split off from India and became a separate colony.[9] In 1947 India gained independence, however the country was partitioned into two states (India and Pakistan), with the southernmost section of the Burma-India border becoming that between Burma and East Pakistan (modern Bangladesh). Burma gained independence in 1948. On 10 March 1967 Burma and India signed a boundary treaty which delimited their common frontier in detail. Security along the border has often been poor, owing to ongoing conflicts in north-east India and western Myanmar.[10]
From the beginning, India and Burma (later known as Myanmar) operated a free movement regime (FMR) for the tribal communities living along their common border, recognizing that the communities have age-old economic and cultural ties.The Burma Passport Rules of 1948 allowed indigenous populations of all the countries bordering Burma to travel to Burma without passports or permits, provided they lived within 40km (30miles) from the border. In 1950, India also amended its passport rules to allow the tribes people residing within 40 km around the border to travel to India and stay up to 72 hours.[11]
In 1968, following a variety of insurgencies in its northeastern states, India unilaterally introduced a permit system for travelling across the border.This provision remained in place for the next 40 years.
In 2004, following the growth of drug trafficking and arms smuggling, India reduced the travel limit to 16km (10miles) and allowed border crossing only through three designated points: Pangsau (Arunachal Pradesh), Moreh (Manipur) and Zokhawthar (Mizoram).
Following further abuses of FMR, a formal agreement with Myanmar was proposed by India in 2014, and, after negotiations, an Agreement on Land Border Crossing was signed by the two countries on 11 May 2018. As per the agreement, the residents of the two countries living within 16 km of the border are issued border passes, which they must carry at all times after crossing the border. They can stay on the other side for up to 14 days.[12] [13]
In January 2024, amidst ongoing ethnic violence in Manipur, the Government of India signalled that it intends to terminate the free movement regime amid allegations from the Government of Manipur that it was facing problems of illegal immigration, drug peddling and arms smuggling.[14] [15] The proposal was opposed by the Government of Mizoram,[16] and civil society organisations in Manipur and Nagaland.[17] Nevertheless, the Government of India suspended the FMR on February 8, 2024, pending negotiation with Myanmar on eventual termination.[18]
The India–Myanmar barrier is a border barrier that India is constructing to seal its 1624km (1,009miles)-long border with Myanmar. India hopes to curtail cross-border crime, including goods, arms and counterfeit currency smuggling, drug trafficking,[19] and insurgency.[20] The United Nations Drug Control Programme (UNDCP) and International Narcotics Control Board (INCB) also warned that the region could become a significant transit point for illicit drugs .[21] Indian security forces blamed the porous border for the deaths of 200 security personnel and civilians in militancy-related violence in the region in 2001–2003.[22] Four Northeast Indian states share the border with Myanmar: Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Mizoram, and Manipur. Both national governments agreed to conduct a joint survey before erecting the fence. The Indian Home Ministry and its Myanmar counterpart completed the study within six months and, in March 2003 began erecting a fence along the border.[23]
In 2004, fencing work in the state of Manipur along the border was stalled due to protests raised by the local Kuki and Naga communities. According to them, a huge stretch of land would become Myanmar's territory and foster unrest among people living on both sides of the border. The protests from people living in the Moreh, Chorokhunou, and Molchan areas forced the Home Ministry to refer the matter to the Manipur government.[23] This fence will divide many ethnic communities, including the Mizo, Nagas, Chins, and Kukis whose lands straddle the regions between the two states- it is thus a highly sensitive issue.[21] In 2007 it was reported that in the state of Manipur, a boundary dispute arose with ownership of nine border pillars being disputed.[24]
The Indo-Myanmar Border Force (IMBF) is a proposed and soon-to-be-composed force of 29 battalions - 25 battalions from Assam Rifles and 4 battalions from Indo-Tibetan Border Police - to guard the 1643km (1,021miles) long Indo-Myanmar border. IMBF will remain under ITBP and will patrol the border to the zero line (as of January 2018).[25]
See Haats on India-Myanmar border.
The India–Myanmar border had a Free Movement Regime (FMR) which allows tribes living along the border to travel 16km (10miles) across either side of the border without visa restrictions.[28] There are over 250 villages with over 300,000 people living within of the border who used to frequently cross the border through 150 small and large formal and informal border crossings[29] before the Government of India suspended the FMR.
See also: Exclusive economic zone of India.
India and Myanmar have maritime exclusive economic zones in each other's vicinity. Landfall Island, India's northernmost Island in Andaman and Nicobar is south of Coco Islands belonging to Myanmar.[33]
