Govt may end 'free movement' along India-Myanmar border

The free movement regime or FMR that allows people residing close to the India-Myanmar border on either side to venture 16km into the other's territory without documents may be cancelled soon and the entire border fenced, people familiar with the plan said on Tuesday, detailing an effort aimed at putting a lid on insurgencies, smuggling and the drug trade.

- Neeraj Chauhan

Anyone wanting to enter India will have to get valid travel documents, the people added, asking not to be named. The idea is to stop the misuse of FMR, which is being used by insurgent groups to carry out attacks on the Indian side and then fleeing into Myanmar, and to put a halt to the influx of illegal immigrants, and paralyse drugs and gold smuggling networks, they said.

The 1,643 km Indo-Myanmar border (IMB), which passes through Mizoram, Manipur, Nagaland and Arunachal Pradesh, currently has FMR and is guarded by Assam Rifles. It was implemented in 2018 as part of India's Act East policy, an effort to boost the region's economy by boosting India's trade with ASEAN and other Southeast Asian nations.

Under FMR, every member of the hill tribes, who is either a citizen of India or a citizen of Myanmar and who is resident of any area within 16km on either side of IMB can cross the border on production of a border pass with one year validity and can stay up to two weeks per visit.