Longwa: Konyak Union Protests Border Fencing and FMR

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Ukhrul, Feb 3: In protest against the Indo-Myanmar border fencing and the abolition of the Free Movement Regime (FMR), the Konyak Union held a public rally today in Longwa village, located in the Mon District of Nagaland. The event attracted over 1,200 participants from Longwa and neighboring Konyak Naga villages including from Myanmar. Longwa village is situated on both sides of the border, with the borderline cutting the village chief’s house in the middle.

Subsequently, the Konyak Union has submitted an appeal to the Governor of Nagaland urging him to move to the Government of India to reconsider its decision to construct border fencing along the India-Myanmar boundary and to revoke the decision to scrap the Free Movement Regime (FMR) provision of 2018.

Must read | Nagaland Legislative Assembly passes resolution on FMR; says consult with people in Indo-Myanmar border

“This decision will have a profound adverse impact on the Konyak Naga community, whose ancestral lands and people have been inseparably connected on both sides of the border since time immemorial,” the Konyak Union stated.

The memorandum stated that the border demarcation between India and Myanmar has its origins in arbitrary colonial decisions, beginning with the Treaty of Yandabo in 1 826, followed by modifications in 1834, 1881, 1894, 1896, 1921, 1992, and finalized at the Yangon Agreement on 10th March 1967 between Premier Zhou, Jawaharlal Nehru, and U Nu. These historical agreements were made without the consent or knowledge of the Konyak Naga community whose territories were split without regard for the indigenous population’s cultural, social, and familial ties.

The document also stated that the Konyak community has always lived as one people, sharing land, resources, and kinship across this imposed border. Many Konyak villages, including those within the Indian territory, have large portions of their agricultural lands situated in Myanmar. The fencing of the boundary will not only deprive them of their farming lands but also severely disrupt their livelihoods, causing unimaginable hardship. It will also lead to the loss of vital connections for Konyak families residing inside Myanmar, who depend heavily on the Indian side for rations, daily needs, and necessities.

Also read | UNC Urges Strict Compliance Against Border Fencing

Particularly distressing is the situation of Longwa village, where the borderline arbitrarily cuts through the heart of the village. It is inconceivable and deeply inhumane to consider erecting a fence through the center of such a community or to impose pass permits on villagers who have lived freely across this land for generations, the union said.

The Konyak Union asserted that if fencing is deemed necessary, it should follow the traditional boundary lines of the Konyak Naga community and not the artificial lines drawn by colonial and post-colonial authorities. The Konyak community will not accept any forceful division of its land and people.

 Moreover, the Konyak Union vehemently objects to the scrapping of the Free Movement Regime (FMR), which was implemented in 2018 to acknowledge the close ties between tribal communities on either side of the border. This regime has been crucial in preserving the cultural integrity and social fabric of border communities. The decision of the Ministry of Home Affairs to revoke the FMR and fence the 1,640 km boundary is based on false premises and a misrepresentation of the realities faced by indigenous communities.

Also read | Naga Students’ Org Myanmar Condemns Draconian Measures; calls FMR GoI’s Assault on Naga Sovereignty

Further, the Konyak Union stated that the move contradicts the Government of India’s stated principles of the “Neighborhood First” and “Act East” policies, which aim to foster closer trade, connectivity, and people-to-people ties with Myanmar and Southeast Asia. It marks a significant reversal of the free border movement that has existed for generations between India and Myanmar.

Making a fervent appeal to the Governor to take up the matter with the Central Government, the union asserted that it remains steadfast in its stand to protect the rights, land, and unity of our people, and hopes the governor’s intervention will lead to a more just and compassionate resolution.

Also read | NSF seeks International Intervention over FMR; appeals against fragmentation of Naga homeland by occupational forces

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