MHA devises new system for free movement along Myanmar border

New Delhi, Dec 27: Months after the scrapping of the Free Movement Regime (FMR) between India and Myanmar, the Centre has come out with a new system to allow cross-border movement for people living within 10 km of the Myanmar-Manipur border.

A home ministry letter to the Manipur Chief Secretary said that this policy will be regulated from 43 designated border crossing points where Assam Rifles personnel will issue "border passes."

The letter further stated that eight pilot entry/exit points would be made functional immediately, while 35 other points would be set up under Phase I and II. According to the letter, movement of people from the 43 designated crossing points will be granted to the holders of "border pass" issued by an authorised representative of Assam Rifles. The border pass will entail "single entry of person" for a stay of up to seven days at a time within 10 km of the Indo-Myanmar border and will have to be deposited on return from the same crossing point where the border pass was issued.

"Holders of the border pass will be permitted to enter the 'border area' for the purposes of visiting relatives, tourism, business, sports, official duty, medical treatment, border trade affairs, attending seminars, meetings, or conferences, and cultural exchange programs," the letter signed by Vikash Jaitly, Deputy Secretary, Border Management Division in the home ministry, said. The formulation of the new system, in fact, was discussed during a meeting on border management held under the chairmanship of Rajendra Kumar, Secretary (BM), on December 16.

The letter, titled "Deployment of police personnel and health officials at pilot sites of entry/exit points along the Indo-Myanmar border," directed the Chief Secretary to "appoint at least two police and two health officials at each of the identified entry/exit points of the Assam Rifles company operating bases where the people would be allowed to enter."

Union Home Minister Amit Shah in February this year announced the scrapping of the Free Movement Regime along the Myanmar border to ensure the country's security and also the demography of the northeastern states.

However, the process of scrapping the FMR has not yet been initiated by the Ministry of External Affairs. "The notification ending the FMR, which involved a bilateral agreement with Myanmar, is yet to be notified by the Ministry of External Affairs," a government official said.

According to the FMR, people living within 16 km of the India-Myanmar border were allowed to travel across the border. However, according to the new order issued to the Manipur government, people residing within 10 km from the border on both sides will be allowed to enter and exit.

The development assumes significance in the wake of the Manipur government suspending the free movement regime at the India-Myanmar border across the checkpoints and locking the gates.

The Centre has also proposed to erect a fence along the border, which passes through different states. At least 30 km of border fencing work has already begun in Manipur.

A Correspondent