Amid ongoing concerns from various Naga organizations about the Government of India’s decision to end the Free Movement Regime (FMR) with Myanmar and construct a fence along the Indo-Myanmar border, the Nagaland cabinet, led by Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio, called for patience on Thursday.
Following a cabinet meeting in Kohima on Friday, state government spokesperson and minister of parliamentary affairs, KG Kenye, told media persons that the state assembly has already passed a resolution in this regard and has requested the Centre to reconsider their decision of scrapping of FMR.
Kenye said that the state government is taking all necessary actions with the Government of India, and that the central government has assured reconsideration of the issue. The Minister also requested NGOs to be patient until the Government of India reaches a considered decision on the matter.
The Nagaland Legislative Assembly on 1 March 2024 passed a resolution urging the Government of India to reconsider its decision regarding the Free Movement Regime (FMR) suspension along the India-Myanmar Border.
India shares a 1,643-kilometre border with Myanmar, running through four northeastern states —Manipur, Mizoram, Arunachal Pradesh and Nagaland. Of this, Nagaland shares a 215-km border with Myanmar. The FMR, established in 2018 as part of the Centre’s Act East policy, allows cross-border movement up to 16 km without a visa.
The 60-member opposition-less state assembly had resolved to urge the GoI to work out regulations for movement of people across the borders in close consultation with the people inhabiting the border areas, and for suitably bringing in the village council authorities concerned in the entire system of regulations.
The resolution highlights the unique circumstances surrounding the Indo-Myanmar border area and emphasizes the potential hardships and disruptions that the suspension of the FMR and the fencing of the border could cause to the Naga people living in the Indo-Myanmar border.
“These measures will cause immense hardship and inconvenience, and also agony to the Naga people living in the Indo-Myanmar border areas due to the fact that the traditional land holding system straddles across the international border in many areas, and people have to cross the international border on a daily basis for their normal cultivation activities,” the resolution read.
It also explained that suspension of FMR will seriously disrupt the age-old historical, social, tribal, and economic ties of the Naga people living on both sides of the international border.
The Mizoram assembly had also on 28 February 2024 unanimously adopted an official resolution opposing the Centre’s decision to scrap the Free Movement Regime (FMR) in the Mizoram sector of the India-Myanmar border and proposed erection of a fence along the same. Mizoram shares a 510-km-long porous border with Myanmar.
The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) decided to scrap the Free Movement Regime (FMR) between India and Myanmar to ensure the internal security of the country and to maintain the demographic structure of India’s North Eastern States bordering Myanmar.
Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation, Amit Shah on 8 February announced in his post on ‘X’ stating, “It is Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi 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.”
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…
— Amit Shah (Modi Ka Parivar) (@AmitShah) February 8, 2024