Amit Shah, India's Union Home Minister, announced on February 8th that the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has opted to terminate the Free Movement Regime (FMR) with Myanmar.

Amit Shah emphasized that this decision aligns with Prime Minister Modi's commitment to safeguarding India's borders. The move aims to bolster internal security and preserve the demographic makeup of India’s North Eastern States that share borders with Myanmar.

Shah took to social media platform X (formerly Twitter) to convey the decision, stating, “Given the Ministry of External Affairs' ongoing efforts to terminate the agreement, MHA has proposed the immediate suspension of the FMR."

Under the FMR, individuals residing near the India-Myanmar border could travel 16 kilometers into each other's territories without needing any documentation. This announcement follows Shah's recent statement that India plans to fence the entire 1,643-kilometer-long India-Myanmar border.

A 10-kilometer stretch of the border in Moreh, Manipur, has been fenced, with two pilot projects underway to install a Hybrid Surveillance System (HSS) along 1 kilometer stretches in Arunachal Pradesh and Manipur. Additionally, approval has been granted for fencing 20 kilometers in Manipur, with work set to commence soon.

The Union Minister reiterated a previous announcement made on January 20 in Assam regarding the reconsideration of India’s Free Movement Regime (FMG) agreement with Myanmar, signaling its imminent end.

This latest update follows a recent meeting between Mr. Shah and Manipur Chief Minister N. Biren Singh in Delhi, where Mr. Singh indicated that significant decisions benefiting Manipur are on the horizon.

The implementation of border fencing will effectively terminate the Free Movement Regime (FMR), which previously allowed members of hill tribes residing within 16 kilometers of the border to cross with a border pass, typically valid for a year, for stays of up to two weeks per visit.

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