Explained: Why India-Myanmar Free Movement Regime Will Be Scrapped

The porous border between India and Myanmar will be fenced and the arrangement that allows people from both nations to visit either side up to 16 km without travel documents will be scrapped, Home Minister Amit Shah said today.

The free movement regime (FMR), which in its current form enables entry without visa and passport, began as a system to allow tribes who share familial, social and ethnic ties on both sides of the border to keep in touch with their people.

“We will fence the open India-Myanmar border just like how we fenced the border with Bangladesh. We are reassessing the free movement regime with Myanmar, and will end the agreement,” Home Minister Amit Shah said at an event today to welcome newly trained Assam Police commandos who were trained by the army.

From Arunachal Pradesh to Mizoram, India shares a 1,600-km-long porous border with Myanmar.

The Manipur government led by Chief Minister N Biren has been asking the Centre to remove the FMR. It has alleged insurgents from Myanmar, illegal immigrants, and drug traffickers have been misusing the FMR, and crossing over to Manipur to create trouble.

Over 180 have died in ethnic violence between the hill-majority Kuki tribes and the valley-majority Meiteis since May 3, 2023.

Manipur’s neighbour Mizoram has told the Centre it will oppose any move to fence the border. Mizoram Chief Minister Lalduhoma has said the border was demarcated by the British and so it is unacceptable for people of the same ethnic groups on both sides.

When India starts fencing the border with Myanmar, it’s not known whether the fence will be kept at some distance from the “zero line”, similar to the border with Bangladesh where the fence is 130 metres from the “zero line”.

It may be difficult to follow this method on the India-Myanmar border due to the terrain.

Here is a brief look at the FMR:

1950s – Government allows Indian and Burmese citizens to enter either side without passport or visa up to 40 km. Burmese can stay for 72 hours in India, while Indians can stay for only 24 hours in Myanmar.

1968 – India tightens FMR with a new permit system. The permit is to be issued by either side for their citizens for the temporary entry. The rise of insurgency in Manipur, Mizoram, and Nagaland then had sparked concerns over the FMR in India.

2004 – India limited the FMR distance to 16 km from 40 km. In addition, instead of allowing people to cross from multiple points, only three places were allowed to be used as the gateways – Pangsau in Arunachal Pradesh, Moreh in Manipur, and Zokhawthar in Mizoram.

2018 – India and Myanmar sign the Agreement on Land Border Crossing. “The agreement will facilitate regulation and harmonisation of already existing free movement rights for people ordinarily residing in the border areas of both countries. It will also facilitate movement of people on the basis of valid passports and visas, which will enhance economic and social interaction between the two countries,” the government said in a statement.

Manipur Security Adviser Kuldiep Singh on January 18 said there is a possibility of insurgents from Myanmar attacking security forces in the border town Moreh, but there is no evidence yet. His comments came after two police commandos were killed in action in Moreh.

Mr Singh had confirmed the involvement of “Kuki militants” in the attack on state forces. “Yesterday, early morning, a large number of Kuki militants started firing at commando posts in three locations,” Mr Singh told reporters on January 18.

The Kuki tribes, who are in Moreh and want the state forces to be withdrawn citing a complete breakdown of trust along ethnic lines, have alleged the state forces of harassing them and burning down buildings in the border town.