No more free movement to Myanmar: India Suspends Free Movement Regime with Myanmar

The government announced the suspension of the Free Movement Regime (FMR) between India and Myanmar, which permits individuals from either nation to travel up to 16km without requiring travel documents. Union Home Minister Amit Shah, in a statement on social media, emphasized Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s commitment to fortifying national borders. Shah cited the Ministry of Home Affairs’ decision to scrap the FMR as essential for bolstering internal security and preserving the demographic composition of the northeastern states.

In line with the Modi government’s strategy for fortified borders, India plans to erect a fence along the entire 1,643-km Myanmar border, with a patrolling track adjacent to it. A section of the border in Manipur’s Moreh has already been fenced, and two pilot projects featuring a “hybrid surveillance system” are operational, covering one kilometer each. Furthermore, approvals have been granted for fencing works spanning approximately 20km in Manipur.

The decision to suspend the FMR and implement border fencing comes after ethnic tensions in Manipur last year between the Kuki-Zo and Meitei communities, resulting in casualties and displacement. Meitei representatives attribute the violence in part to the unchecked influx of illegal immigrants from Myanmar facilitated by the FMR over several decades, a claim disputed by the Kuki-Zos.

The administration of Manipur’s Chief Minister N Biren Singh supports the termination of the FMR and border fencing, alleging misuse of the policy by insurgents, illegal immigrants, and drug traffickers. Singh also criticized past governments for inadequate security measures, citing instances where militants crossed the border.

Government sources reveal that nearly 600 Myanmar Army soldiers sought refuge in Mizoram’s Lawngtlai district after clashes with Arakan Army militants. While Manipur and other northeastern states support the FMR suspension and border fencing, Mizoram opposes these measures, emphasizing the unity of ethnic groups residing on both sides of the border.

The Free Movement Regime, established in 1970 and revived by the Modi government in 2016 under its ‘Act East’ policy, initially aimed to facilitate visits for tribes with shared familial, social, and ethnic connections across the border.

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