India to regulate India-Myanmar border movement via new pass system

The Indian government is transitioning from the Free Movement Regime (FMR) to a Regulated Movement Regime (RMR) along the India-Myanmar border. Under the new scheme, residents of villages located within 10 km of the border on either side can undertake regulated cross-border movement via issued border passes. Officials stated that 16,428 Border Passes have been issued to date, emphasizing that the mechanism is designed to regulate movement rather than prevent people-to-people contact.

The Union Ministry of Home Affairs previously announced the scrapping of the FMR, which had allowed residents to travel up to 16 km into each other's territory without passports or visas. The shift comes amid plans to erect fencing along the 1,643-km porous border shared by Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Nagaland, and Mizoram to curb the smuggling of arms, narcotics, and other contraband. This fencing project is estimated to cost Rs 31,000 crore.

The changes have faced strong opposition from the governments of Nagaland and Mizoram, as well as various political parties and civil societies in the Northeastern states. Additionally, recent reports have addressed allegations regarding the Assam Rifles preventing delegations, such as the Naga Students’ Federation, from traveling to Myanmar.