New Delhi/Guwahati
The possibility of yet another flare-up in the troubled region cannot be ruled out as tribal groups have strongly opposed the Centre’s move to scrap the Free Movement Regime (FMR) between Indian and Myanmar.
Though the Chief Ministers of Manipur, Assam and Arunachal Pradesh have welcomed the decision, tribal groups like Mizoram’s Young Mizo Association of Mizoram, Manipur’s Zo United and Nagaland’s Naga Students’ Federation have announced their opposition to it.
“It is Prime Minister Shri @narendramodi Ji’s resolve to secure our borders. The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has decided that the Free Movement Regime (FMR) between India and Myanmar be scrapped to ensure the internal security of the country and to maintain the demographic structure of India’s North Eastern States bordering Myanmar. Since the Ministry of External Affairs is currently in the process of scrapping it, MHA has recommended the immediate suspension of the FMR,” Union Home Minister Amit Shah announced on X on Thursday.
Reacting strongly, the Zo United issued a statement: “The FMR should stay in place. You cannot ignore sociology and the history of tribals by trying to put a fence between brothers. People residing in the region are all from the same racial stock, with familial ties which are much older than the borders drawn up by the British.”
Claiming the support of the Mizoram and Nagaland governments, Zo United further said, “To abolish the FMR will be against the principles of the Look East and Act East policies of the Centre.”
Zo United is a coordinating body which comprises all apex bodies like Kuki Inpi Manipur, Zomi Council, ITLF, COTU, HTC and all tribe councils.
“The tribal communities in Manipur and Mizoram are not happy with the decision of the FMR and they will make sure to take whatever steps required to oppose the decision at a higher level,” a spokesperson of Zo United Ginza Vualzong said
“We had a three-hour meeting with home ministry officials on Wednesday. During the meeting, we spoke about the various issues that we are facing back home. They have listened patiently to our issues and concerns. They said that they will take it up to the higher authorities,” Vualzong said.
Ethnic clashes between the Kukis and Meteis that erupted in Manipur on May 3, 2023, continue to this day in the State and their impact is felt in Mizoram and Nagaland too.
Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh and his Assam and Arunachal Pradesh counterparts Himanta Biswa Sarma and Pema Khandu respectively welcomed the Centre’s decision.
“The decision to scrap FMR is crucial for the internal security and demographic integrity of the northeastern states. The historic decision to fence the border will help curb illegal immigration and strengthen internal security,” Singh said.
It was the Manipur Chief Minister who had first demanded the scrapping of the FMR and the need for fencing the international border on the ground that the ongoing violence in Manipur was the handiwork of infiltrators from Myanmar.
Sarma said the border fence would also go a long way in checking the cross-boundary movement of extremists in the northeast. “In fact, [the Jawaharlal] Nehru Govt allowed 40 km visa-free entry under FMR, which was reduced to 16 km in 2004 and set for scrapping in 2024,” he said targeting the Congress.
For his part, Pema Khandu thanked Modi and Shah for their “steadfast commitment to safeguarding our borders”.
WHAT IS THE FMR?
- The hill tribes on either side of the India Myanmar Border (IMB) share physical, ethnic, linguistic, cultural and fraternal linkages
- So, in line with its Look East and Act East policy, the Modi Government implemented the FMR Agreement in 2018 to encourage more people-to-people contact
- The FMR allowed all the hill tribes living close to the 1,643 km IMB to travel up to 16 km inside each other’s territory without a visa
- All they need to do is to produce a border pass with a one-year validity issued by the competent authority. They can stay up to two weeks per visit
- This helps locals to get more culturally assimilated with trans-border villages through weddings, celebrating common festivals together and trans-border trade
- The IMB spans the four states of Mizoram, Manipur, Nagaland, and Arunachal Pradesh
WHY IS THE FMR BEING SCRAPPED?
- Attacks on Indian security forces and killing of civilians on ethnic lines In Manipur by insurgent groups who cross easily to the other side taking advantage of the FMR
- Increased influx of illegal immigrantsfrom Myanmar straining resources and impacting local demographics
- Easy illegal movement of drugs and weapons, posing a threat to internal security to India
- Huge inflow of narcotics, drugs and banned substances from Myanmar
- Deforestation and illegal resource extraction due to unregulated cross-border movement.
- China’s influence in Myanmar and its potential impact on India’s border security
- Myanmar soldiers under attack by an insurgent tribal group crossing over to Mizoram to save themselves from the onslaught
