Assam Rifles seizes heavy-calibre, military-grade weapons near Indo-Myanmar border

Posted 01 May 2024

2 min read

This recovery is a significant success for AF’s in its efforts to seal the porous Indo-Myanmar border to prevent destabilising activities

Porous border issues in India
- Porous border refers to border areas not protected enough to stop people going through. It could be both open (unfenced) and closed (fenced)
  - India has open borders with Nepal, Bhutan and Myanmar which facilitates cross-border movement of people (India aims to completely fence its border with Myanmar).
  - India also shares porous border issues with Pakistan, Bangladesh and China.
- Such border poses a threat to national security by facilitating cross-border terrorism, illegal migration, smuggling and trafficking.
  - For example, borders along Myanmar and Pakistan are pivotal routes for drug trafficking due to its proximity with Golden Triangle (Myanmar, Thailand and Laos), and Golden Crescent (Iran, Afghanistan and Pakistan).

Challenges in sealing porous borders
- Natural causes: Rugged terrain including marshy land, riverine borders, and extreme climatic conditions for example, in Siachen Glacier.
- Lack of demarcation: Some of India’s borders with its neighbours are disputed and therefore are not demarcated.
- People-to-people connect: For example, between India and Myanmar Free Movement Regime (FMR) allows people living on either side of the border to travel up to 16 km inside each other’s country without a visa.

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