What is free movement regime? How does the border management pact will regulate the free movement regime?

India-Myanmar border passes through the difficult terrains of mountains and forests. The India –Myanmar region also hosts large number of tribes who have a relations and interests across the border. In order to facilitate free movement of the tribal people along the border so that their deep seated relations among the tribal’s does not gets affected the mechanism of the free movement regime was introduced.
Free Movement Regime (FMR) which allows the tribes living along the border to travel 16-km across the boundary without visa restrictions. But this free movement is often misused by the insurgent groups who use these open borders to carry out attacks and cross over the border for escaping the authorities. Hence for regulating this menace without affecting the deep seated tribal relations the government of India had proposed the Border management pact.
As per the border management pact, the four states of Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Manipur and Mizoram which share the unfenced border with Myanmar were asked to distribute border pass to all the residents living within 16 km from the border. Thus providing for a structured and regulated mechanism to facilitate the tribal movements and countering insurgents.

Topics: GS-III: Security Challenges and Their Management in Border Areas