Free movement regime between India, Myanmar scrapped

The Indian government has decided that the Free Movement Regime (FMR) between India and Myanmar will be scrapped to ensure the internal security of the country and to maintain the demographic structure of India’s northeastern states bordering Myanmar.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah said this on Thursday days after announcing that a fence would be constructed along the entire 1,643-km-long Myanmar border to facilitate better surveillance.

Taking to X (formerly Twitter), Shah wrote, “Since the Ministry of External Affairs is currently in the process of scrapping it, MHA has recommended the immediate suspension of the FMR."

The India-Myanmar border, which passes through Mizoram, Manipur, Nagaland and Arunachal Pradesh had FMR which is now scraped. It was implemented in 2018 as part of India's Act East policy. Fencing along the border has been a persistent demand of the Imphal Valley-based Meitei groups which have been alleging that tribal militants often enter into India through the porous border.