Konyak Union Urges Nagaland Governor to Oppose India-Myanmar Border Fencing, Restore FMR

"The Konyak community will not accept any forceful division of its land and people," the Union said.

The Konyak Union (KU) has made an urgent appeal to Nagaland Governor La Ganesan requesting his intervention to persuade the Government of India to reconsider its decision to construct a border fence along the India-Myanmar boundary and revoke the decision to scrap the Free Movement Regime (FMR) provision of 2018.

In its appeal, the Konyak Union emphasised that the proposed border fencing would have a devastating impact on the Konyak Naga community, whose ancestral lands and kinship ties extend across both sides of the border.

The union argued that the demarcation of the India-Myanmar boundary was historically arbitrary, imposed through colonial-era treaties without the consent of the indigenous population.

The Konyak community, which has long shared land, resources, and familial bonds across the border, faces severe consequences if the fence is erected. Many Konyak villages in India have their agricultural lands in Myanmar, and restricting access would disrupt livelihoods and daily sustenance.

The Konyak Union particularly highlighted the plight of Longwa village, where the border line runs directly through the settlement, making any attempt to fence the area deeply inhumane.

The union also strongly opposed the revocation of the Free Movement Regime (FMR), which was introduced in 2018 to acknowledge and preserve the historical and cultural ties of indigenous border communities.

The Konyak Union asserted that the decision to scrap FMR was based on false premises and misrepresented the ground realities of the affected people.

Furthermore, the appeal pointed out that the move contradicts India’s “Neighborhood First” and “Act East” policies, which aim to enhance regional connectivity and people-to-people ties with Myanmar and Southeast Asia.

The Konyak Union warned that revoking free border movement would not only alienate indigenous communities but also hinder diplomatic and economic cooperation.

“The Konyak community will not accept any forceful division of its land and people,” the Union said.

On humanitarian grounds, the Konyak Union urged the Manipur Governor to take up the matter with the central government and advocate for a reconsideration of these decisions.

The union reaffirmed its commitment to protecting the rights, land, and unity of the Konyak people and called for a just and compassionate resolution to the issue.

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