Restore FMR, stop border fencing: UNC
Source: The Sangai Express / Newmai News Network

Imphal, May 02 2025: The United Naga Council (UNC) has urged Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla to reinstate Free Movement Regime (FMR) in Naga areas on either side across the borders and stop the construction of the 'imposed' Indo-Myanmar border fencing along the 'artificial' border line in "Naga homeland" .

At the same time, the UNC also met the Governor on the "district roll back issue in Manipur" .

A team of UNC led by its president Ng Lorho met the Governor at Raj Bhavan, Imphal, this afternoon, according to the UNC leaders who informed Newmai News Network this evening.

The UNC team submitted a lengthy memorandum regarding the two issues to the Governor.

The memorandum of the UNC mentioned the notification of the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) published on September 26, 1950 that allowed hill tribes residing within 40 km on either side of the India-Burma border to enter India without passports or visas.

Saying that India and Myanmar Government established the Free Movement Regime which had been in place since 1970s, with periodic revision, it added that scrapping of FMR by the MHA has severed their deep historical, cultural and familial ties with their brethren across the border in Myanmar.

"There have been incidents of emergency health issues, educational tours, seasonal livelihood activities, marriages, funerals, cultivation and economic activities.

Our livelihoods are significantly interwoven with cross border interactions", it also said.

The memorandum also said the Tangkhul Naga, Anal Naga, Moyon Naga, Lamkang Naga and Maring Naga who live along the artificial borders in Ukhrul district and Chandel district, stretching from Tusom areas of Northern Tangkhul, Kamjong areas of the Eastern Tangkhuls to Satang areas of the Maring in Tengnoupal areas have a sizeable Naga population in Myanmar's Sagaing region who share a robust ethnic tie since time immemorial.

However, historical border delineations influenced more by political considerations than ethnic bonding during the British colonial era resulted in the dispersion of Naga people across the international boundaries, the UNC added.

The UNC also said abrupt ending of the Free Movement Regime and construction of fencing on the pretext of security reasons, proliferation of arms smuggling and drugs, influx of illegal immigrants is an attempt to further bifurcate the indigenous Nagas as there are no such elements of vices in Naga areas.

The UNC then said the approved Indo-Myanmar border fencing supposedly framed to be constructed in Naga dominated areas measuring about 80 kms stretch in Tengnoupal areas and Chandel is an apparent violation of international environmental laws such as convention on migratory species which requires migratory routes to be protected.

It also said fences and walls and other barriers are proliferating along the international borders on a global scale.

These border fences not only affect people, but can also have unintended but important consequences for wildlife, inter-alia by curtailing migrations and other movements by fragmenting populations and by causing direct mortality to large carnivores and herbivores, the UNC stated.

The walls/fencing are blocking seasonal migrations of large animals, reducing genetic and species diversity and threatening the futures of millions of species that will need to move their domains to keep up with the changing climatic conditions salubrious to them, it said.

The UNC then said the "lop-sided narrative" of the Government for ending the FMR and the 'imposed' construction of Indo-Myanmar border fencing/wall along the border in Naga areas has displeased many frontier communities.

On the district rollback issue in Manipur, the UNC said the Nagas have rejected the arbitrary creation of seven new districts on December 8, 2016 by the then Congress Government and strongly demonstrated the rejection with the mass rally held in Naga district headquarters on December 15, 2016 and the 139 days of economic blockade along the National Highways.

The 13 rounds of tripartite talks involving the Government of Manipur, the United Naga Council and the Government of India on the creation of the new districts was based on the recognition that "there was non-adher-ence to the four Memoranda of Understanding signed by the Government of Manipur with Naga organisations and the assurance of the Government of India on the matter, the UNC also said.

Time and again, the UNC said the Government of Manipur had agreed to present concrete proposals on addressing or redressing the issue at the negotiating table, as reflected in the minutes of the talks for district roll back.

However, to date, no such proposal has been forthcoming.

Given this impasse, the United Naga Council (UNC) said it "finds it imperative to highlight the unresolved issue of district roll back, particularly in light of the increasingly violent geographical contestations between conflicting parties in Manipur.

While putting "our confidence" and trust on the process of tripartite talks, it is also pertinent to question the sincerity of the government in dealing with this issue which is sentimental to the indigenous Naga people, the UNC also said.

The UNC then said that, rectifying the errors of the past will surely prove to be beneficial to all concerned and restore confidence and goodwill in the system.

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