INDIA MYANMAR BORDER (Syllabus: GS Paper 2 – IR)

Context: Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has decided to scrap the Free Movement Regime (FMR) between India and Myanmar to ensure the internal security of the country and to maintain the demographic structure of India’s North Eastern States bordering Myanmar.

India–Myanmar Border

• About: It is the international border between India and Myanmar (formerly Burma). 
• Length: 1,643 kilometres (1,021 mi) in length and runs from the tripoint with China in the north to the tripoint with Bangladesh in the south.
• The border between India and Myanmar runs along four states: Mizoram, Manipur, Nagaland and Arunachal Pradesh.
• Capital city: Naypyidaw

Free Movement Regime (FMR)

• About: The FMR is a mutually agreed arrangement between the two countries that allows tribes living along the border on either side to travel up to 16 km inside the other country without a visa.
• Implementation: It was implemented in 2018 as part of the Act East policy, at a time when diplomatic relations between India and Myanmar were on the upswing.
• Geographical Scope: Under the FMR, residents of hill tribes, whether Indian or Myanmar citizens, are allowed to travel within a 16 km radius on both sides of the Indo-Myanmar Border (IMB).
• Border Crossing Procedure: To cross the border, individuals need to present a border pass issued by the competent authority, valid for one year.