NEWS – Union Govt to end Free Movement Regime with Myanmar

 FREE MOVEMENT REGIME

• Arrangement as part of the Central government’s Act East policy 2018
• Allowed hill tribes citizens of India or Myanmar to travel within 16 km on either side of the Indo-Myanmar Border (IMB)
• They were issued border pass with a one-year validity issued by the competent authority and can stay up to two weeks per visit
• Benefit – locals to get more culturally assimilated with trans-border villages through weddings, celebrating common festivals together and trans-border trade

IMPLICATIONS

• Enhance security, particularly in sensitive regions like Manipur and Mizoram.
• Affect the local tribes who have traditionally relied on cross-border movement for trade and cultural reasons

INDO-MYANMAR BORDER (IMB)

• Length 1,643 km
• Covers four states of Mizoram, Manipur, Nagaland, and Arunachal Pradesh
• Assam Rifles is tasked with guarding the IMB