Free Movement Regime:
The Home Minister recently said the Free Movement Regime (FMR) agreement with Myanmar would be reconsidered to stop border residents from moving into each other’s country without any paperwork.
- Under the FMR, all the hill tribes, whether they are citizens of India or Myanmar, can travel within 16 km on either side of the Indo-Myanmar Border (IMB).
- They can cross the border by producing a border pass with a one-year validity issued by the competent authority and can stay up to two weeks per visit.
- The FMR was implemented in 2018 as part of the Central government’s Act East policy.
- FMR is implemented by both governments for the people living along the IMB.
- This helps locals get more culturally assimilated with trans-border villages through weddings, celebrating common festivals together, and trans-border trade.
- It is a reflection of the physical, ethnic, linguistic, cultural, and fraternal linkages among the trans-border villagers.
