Senapati: The United Naga Council (UNC) appeals to the union Home Ministry to re-instate the Free Movement Regime and halt construction of Indo-Myanmar border fencing/wall along the borders in Naga areas. This was stated in a memorandum submitted to Amit Shah, Union Minister of India through the Deputy Commissioner, Senapati District Hqs, Manipur that appeals to re-instate the Free Movement Regime (FMR) at Tusom-Somrah Sector along the Indo-Myanmar border in Ukhrul district and other impacted Naga areas vis-à-vis halting the approved proposal for construction of Indo-Myanmar border fencing/wall along the borders in Naga areas.
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In the memorandum addressed to the Union Home Minister, Ng. Lorho, President, UNC and Vareiyo Shatsang, General Secretary, UNC stated that the Indo-Myanmar borders were delimited and demarcated by two bilateral agreements between India and Myanmar on 10 March, 1967 by dividing many ethnic tribal communities along the artificial/imaginary line drawn without the informed consent of the villagers and thus relegated to the status of ethnic minorities on both sides of the borders.
To address their concerns and enable close interaction amongst the ethnic minorities, India and Myanmar governments established the Free Movement Regime which had been in place since 1970s, with periodic revision, the last being in January, 2018 as part of Narendra Modi Government’s Act East Policy to safeguard the traditional rights of the largely tribal communities residing along the borders, keeping in mind the traditional social relations besides facilitating trade relations between the kindred tribes on both sides that permits the tribes residing along the border to travel 16 kms on either side of the unfenced boundary without visa restrictions for 72 hours with valid permits issued by the designated authorities on either sides.
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That, scrapping of FMR in recent times in Tusom-Somrah sectors along the Indo-Myanmar border in Ukhrul district (Naga ancestral domains) and other Naga districts stretching from north of Moreh town to Nagaland state has stated to have severed social and cultural ties during these festive seasons. There have been incidents of emergency health issues, educational tours, seasonal livelihood activities, marriages, funerals, cultivation and economic activities.
That, the Tangkhul Naga, Anal Naga, Moyon Naga and Lamkang Naga who are scattered in few districts of Manipur state have a sizeable Naga population in Myanmar’s Sagaing region who share robust ethnic ties. 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 international boundaries, it stated.
The Nagas are not convinced that ending the free movement regime will serve any purpose due to the fact that there is neither a case of smuggling of arms and drugs nor an influx of illegal immigrants in Naga areas on both sides, the memorandum mentioned.
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The approved Indo- Myanmar border fencing supposedly framed to be constructed in Naga dominated areas measuring about 80 kms stretch in Tengnoupal and Chandel districts, Manipur is stated to be an apparent violation of international environmental laws such as the convention on migratory species which requires migratory routes to be protected. Fences and walls and other barriers are proliferating along international borders on a global scale. These border fences not only affect people, but can also have unintended but important consequences for wild life, inter- alia by curtailing migrations and other movements by fragmenting populations and by causing direct mortality to large carnivores and herbivores. The walls 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.
The collateral damage being done to the border land communities who inhabit this border land spanning both sides of the artificial line drawn has adversely severed their close knitted social and economic ties from their relatives and thus compelling them to live in isolation of these pockets from the rest of India other than a symbiotic relation.
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The lop-sided narrative of the Government of India and the state government of Manipur for ending the FMR and the approved proposals for construction of Indo- Myanmar border fencing/wall along the border in Naga dominated areas has displeased many frontier communities. While attempting to address the influx of illegal immigrants through the porous borders, the state and union governments may find other mechanisms to curb the menace instead of scrapping FMR and construction of wall and fencing, it stated.
In the light of the above, the UNC leaders humbly beg the good self to reinstate FREE MOVEMENT REGIME at Tusom-Somrah sector in Ukhrul district and other impacted Naga areas Vis-a-vis halting the approved proposal for construction of Indo-Myanmar border fencing/walls in the frontier of Naga areas in Manipur with immediate effect.
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