ANSAM Writes to UN, UNPO Seeking Intervention to Halt Indo-Myanmar Border Fencing, Reinstate Free Movement Regime

Indo-Myanmar Border Fencing: The justification for border fence to curb illegal immigration and drug trafficking has been labeled.

In a powerful and urgent appeal to the global community, the All Naga Students Association, Manipur (ANSAM) has written to the Secretary-General of the United Nations and the Secretary-General of the Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organization (UNPO), seeking immediate intervention to halt the ongoing physical fencing along the Indo-Myanmar Border (IMB) and to reinstate the Free Movement Regime (FMR).

The student body submitted a detailed memorandum outlining the historical, social, environmental, and humanitarian implications of the scrapping of the FMR and the construction of border fencing. The FMR, reintroduced in 2018, allowed border residents to travel up to 16 kilometers into either country without a visa—an arrangement that greatly enhanced livelihoods and upheld centuries-old inter-community bonds. ANSAM stated that its removal has not only disrupted this harmony but triggered an existential crisis for border communities, particularly the Nagas.

In the memorandum, ANSAM clarified that the plea is neither anti-India nor in opposition to Indian policies, but an appeal to uphold justice, coexistence, and indigenous rights.

ANSAM referred to the Indo-Myanmar Border as an “imaginary and arbitrary line” that sliced through Naga ancestral lands during the 1950s, a move they described as a “historical injustice” carried out without informed consent. Highlighting the surreal reality, the memo mentions the case of Longwa village, where the house of the village chief lies partially in India and partially in Myanmar symbolizing the unnatural division of a united people.

The memorandum states that generations of Naga tribes living on both sides of the border have shared land, culture, religion, and familial ties. The fencing now severs these organic relationships, causing not only psychological trauma but also denial of access to ancestral land, threatening the very fabric of the Naga way of life.

ANSAM also pointed out the environmental damages resulting from the border fencing, including the disruption of wildlife movement and fragmentation of biodiversity hotspots all of which have long-term ecological consequences.

Moreover, the justification for the border fence to curb illegal immigration and drug trafficking has been labeled by ANSAM as misguided and illogical.

According to the group, there is no credible evidence of illegal immigration or smuggling activities in Naga areas, and the blame largely lies with collusion between certain armed forces and external entities. The memo urges the government to instead explore legal and administrative tools like the National Register of Citizens (NRC) to address such concerns.

By scrapping the FMR and erecting a physical barrier across indigenous land, the Indian government is violating Article 36 of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP), the memo argues. This article guarantees the rights of indigenous peoples to maintain and develop cross-border relationships for spiritual, cultural, and social purposes.

ANSAM has reiterated that its demands align with India’s democratic values and long-term interests. It urged the Indian government to initiate meaningful dialogue to resolve the protracted Indo-Naga political issue through the August 3 Framework Agreement signed between the Government of India and the NSCN. It also urged the government to extend the FMR from 16 km to 40 km, as was the case in the 1950s, to accommodate border communities more comprehensively.

Despite the memorandum and a history of public protests, including the recent 48-hour picketing of government offices across Naga districts from June 2–3, 2025, the central government has remained unresponsive. Yet, ANSAM has vowed that the “People’s Movement” against the FMR scrapping and border fencing will continue to reverberate until justice is achieved.

The Association, alongside federating bodies such as TKS, SDSA, JTSA, and NSUC, has submitted similar memoranda to the Prime Minister, Home Minister, and External Affairs Minister through the Manipur Governor, reiterating the call for an immediate halt to the border construction and reinstatement of the FMR.

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