Ukhrul, November 25, 2024: The Kuki-Zo Council has condemned the central government’s repeated attempts to construct fencing along the Indo-Myanmar border in the Tengnoupal district of Manipur.
Terming the border fencing as a flagrant violation of international laws and the rights of the indigenous communities residing in the border areas, the Council denounced the Government’s continuation of the ‘controversial initiative’ despite strong opposition from all indigenous tribal bodies of the border states including Nagaland and Mizoram.
In a press release by their Information Secretary, the Kuki Zo Council stated that the border fencing violates international laws and threatens the cultural and socio-economic fabric of the indigenous communities along the border. The council also urged the local authorities and Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) to take decisive actions to halt any further construction activity related to the border fencing. It also appealed to the local authorities to stand against intrusive measures that undermine the rights and autonomy of the indigenous population.
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Warning of the detrimental impact that the construction of border fencing may have on all indigenous communities, the Kuki Zo body called for solidarity and support from all concerned stakeholders. A united front must be presented to resist any actions that disregard the rights and well-being of the Indigenous peoples, it called.
The Council while reiterating its stand to protect the interests and rights of the Kuki-Zo people, added that it stands ready to collaborate with like-minded organizations to thwart any further attempts to construct border fencing along the Indo-Myanmar border.
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