India’s Assam Rifles will continue to man the porous Myanmar border despite a proposal by the Indian Union Home Ministry to replace the paramilitary force with Border Security Force, according to a report in the Indian Express on May 29.
In a recent meeting between Indian Army chief General Dalbir Singh and Home Secretary LC Goyal, it was decided that the Assam Rifles will continue to be deployed along the Myanmar border as interim measure.
The Indian Home Ministry has been pushing for the deployment of BSF along the 1,643 km long border with Myanmar for the past five years.
Both India and Myanmar have difficulty maintaining security along their joint border, with key problems being smuggling of illegal drugs and contraband, and movement of armed groups.