The Free Movement Regime on the Indo-Myanmar Border

The Free Movement Regime on the Indo-Myanmar Border

The Free Movement Regime (FMR) on the Indo-Myanmar Border (IMB) is a mutually agreed arrangement between the two countries that allows tribes living along the border on either side to travel up to 16 km inside the other country without a visa. The FMR has been in place since 2018 as part of the Act East Policy. The FMR has been beneficial in promoting people-to-people contact and local trade between India and Myanmar. However, it has also been criticized for aiding illegal immigration and drug trafficking. The FMR was suspended in September 2022 due to the Myanmar crisis. The India-Myanmar-Thailand Trilateral Highway (IMT-TH) project is a significant regional connectivity initiative aimed at establishing a road network that links India's Northeast region with Thailand through Myanmar. The project has the potential to boost trade, commerce, tourism, and people-to-people interactions among the three countries, fostering regional integration and collaboration. The IMT-TH project faces a…