GoI ceding Manipur's land? Talks on to resolve boundary dispute : MEA
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, August 05 2026: In what could add another layer of tension in the already troubled State, the speculation about Manipur ceding land to Myanmar has grown further after the Ministry of External Affairs said it was in talks with the neighbouring country to resolve a boundary dispute.

Responding to queries about a reported proposal for a land swap during a press conference in New Delhi on August 4, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal reportedly said discussions on border issues with Myanmar were on.

"There are certain areas on the border which are yet to be settled.

Discussions on those sectors are ongoing," Jaiswal reportedly said.

Although the MEA spokesperson did not confirm the proposal for territorial exchange, he acknowledged that bilateral discussions were continuing to address pending boundary demarcation.

While the entire Indo-Myanmar border stretches 1,643 Km, Manipur shares 398 Km with the neighbouring country.

The current India-Myanmar boundary was defined under a 1967 bilateral agreement.

Notably, the speculation about a possible exchange of territory between the two countries emerged after The Diplomat on July 17 published an article on the issue citing an unnamed source and official document it had access to.

The report which indicated that Manipur could lose territory drew the attention of civil bodies like COCOMI and UCM, which cautioned the Government of India against any plan to swap Manipur's land with Myanmar.

Manipur's territorial boundary is non-negotiable : The civil bodies, COCOMI in particular, had warned the Government of India that it "shouldn't play with fire," and sought explanations on the report from the Centre and the State Government.

Significantly, The Diplomat's report had stated that the Government of India may consider ceding Manipur's land to resolve a boundary dispute with Myanmar.

The report had claimed that the Government of India may consider a proposal to swap 1.4 square miles of land with Myanmar to complete the demarcation of the boundary between border pillars 65 and 68 .

The "proposal being examined" by the Government of India was forwarded by the Foreign Secretary.

The territory that was being considered for exchange lies in Manipur's Chandel district, contiguous to Myanmar's Kabaw Valley in Sagaing Region, the report had said.

Citing documents it had seen, The Diplomat had reported that the boundary demarcation was being planned to be completed within three months.

The rationale to expedite demarcation of the border stems from the Government of India's urgency to fence the border with Myanmar to check cross-border criminal activities, including illegal immigration and movement of insurgents.

The controversial part of the boundary in Manipur lies between border pillars 64 and 68 at Molcham, border pillars 75 and 79 at Moreh, and border pillars 88 and 95 at Choro Khunou.

Despite the formation of Cabinet Sub-Committees by the Government of Manipur in 2000 and later, the boundary dispute has remained unresolved.

Further, The Diplomat had also reported that the border issue was discussed during Myanmar President Min Aung Hlaing's visit to India from May 30 to June 3, 2026 .

It also reported that the possibility of erection of "auxiliary pillars" and some new pillars at Molcham in Chandel district between border pillars 65 and 68 were also discussed by the two Governments during Hlaing's visit.

Reportedly, a sum of $3.22 billion has already been sanctioned for fencing and constriction of a patrol track along the entire Indo-Myanmar border, spanning 1,643 Km .

Territorial exchanges with neighbouring countries are not unprecedented.

In 2015, India and Bangladesh ratified the Land Boundary Agreement, under which New Delhi transferred 111 enclaves within its territory to Dhaka and received 51 Bangladeshi enclaves in return, bringing an end to a 41-year-old boundary dispute.

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