Naga organisations in Manipur object to India-Myanmar border fencing, demand restoration of FMR: Read how this open border has been fuelling violence and narcotics trade

In a significant step towards protecting the border of the nation, India has stepped up to work on fencing the long 1,643 km porous border with Myanmar. The Border Roads Organisation (BRO) will complete this project in phases over the next decade.

Over Rs 20,000 crore will be spent on the fence itself, and an additional Rs 11,000 crore on the construction of over 60 border roads, which will take place in this ambitious project. For the effective management of the India-Myanmar border, as well as ensuring the fencing in the north-east region, over 1,500 km of fencing, which includes 300 km of electric fencing, will be deployed.

Due to the ongoing ethnic violence between the Kuki-Zo and Meitei communities for a long time, and the signs of no normalcy in the specific region of Manipur have led to come up with this action has been taken. The violence has led to the deaths of over 250 people in total in the region.

The security has discovered that over 60,000 people have been displaced internally, and less than half of the around 6,000 weapons looted in the state. The vulnerable condition in the state amid the fighting between the military and armed opposition subsequent to the coup in February 2021, has also led to over 31,000 people fleeing and seeking refuge in India.

“Myanmar’s ongoing instability has further aggravated the situation, with a surge in smuggling, human trafficking, and movement of armed infiltrators. Drugs worth Rs 1,125 crore, for instance, have been seized along the border in the last six-seven months,” a source said.

Communities in other states like Manipur, Mizoram, and Arunachal Pradesh, which shared their boundaries with Myanmar, have opposed the proposal of a fence system. They also have shown opposition to the scrapping of the Free Movement Regime (FMR). The FMR allowed people residing along the border to venture 16 km into each other’s territory without such visas, earlier this year. Apex Kuki bodies, for instance, say the twin steps “threaten to infringe upon the cultural, traditional and historical rights of indigenous communities”.

Some critics argue that the expensive fencing initiative could create difficulties for communities with shared ethnic and cultural ties across the border, potentially disrupting connectivity, trade, and interpersonal relationships.

However, defence and security officials maintain that the fence is not meant to block civilian movement or break cultural and familial bonds between people on either side. “Plans are underway to install a network of gates equipped with biometric systems along the fence to enable cross-border movement while maintaining security,” said another source. These access points will be established in coordination with local communities.

The primary goal of the fence is to control the movement of armed groups and prevent smuggling of weapons, drugs, human trafficking, and illegal immigration, the source added. The successful completion of a 10-km stretch of fencing in Moreh, Manipur, is being cited as evidence of the project’s effectiveness in enhancing both security and trade regulation. “This initiative will also help streamline legal trade activities, bringing economic benefits to local populations while curbing the negative effects of illicit trade,” he said.

Several Naga organisations in Manipur, which include the United Naga Council, All Naga Students Association, Naga Women’s Union, and Naga People’s Movement for Human Rights South, submitted the petition through the Manipur governor through Ajay Kumar Bhalla. In fact, they urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah to halt the fencing of the India-Myanmar border and to restore the free movement regime (FMR) within twenty days.

The Naga civil organisation has set several forms of protest, “including picketing of government offices in Naga-inhabited areas have been undertaken along with protest rallies in Naga-inhabited hill districts, in the way to express a strong resentment against the abrogation of the FMR and the ongoing border fencing construction along the Indo-Myanmar border.  

Previously, border tension has been witnessed, which has included conflict and clashes between the two communities. Last year, in July 2023, the heavily armed militants started to set buildings on fire. Soon, the uprising was settled by the state police after the people were cleared. Kuki militants arrived and opened fire.

The incident saw extensive looting and arson, and many private dwellings, including that of a journalist, were set on fire. The place was reportedly given to the people of the Meitei community who had escaped the area due to previous violence.

It was assumed that the attack was caused by the neighbouring country, Myanmar, formerly known as Burma. The probe was launched, which held four to five people for interrogation.

More than 700 illegal immigrants have reportedly entered from Myanmar on the Indian side and orders have been given to deport them. “Now, there are illegal migrants from Myanmar. 718 of them that the Assam Rifles have informed the Chandel Police and the Manipur Police. They have said that 718 fresh illegal migrants from Myanmar have come. The Manipur government has asked the Assam Rifles to deport them. This is a separate development,” unveiled Wasbir Hussain, a senior journalist.

He further continued, “On the other side of Moreh is the Burmese town of Tamu that is connected by an India-Myanmar friendship bridge and where Indians and Myanmarese can come and go within a distance of about 10 to 20 kilometres. There are no real documents necessary. Just an entry at the gate. You are allowed to go inside Tamu and come back. This is the situation in the border town.”

“There are a lot of Tamils in Moreh. There are a lot of Kukis. There are a lot of Meiteis of course. The Meities were attacked during the first wave of violence and they fled the town. They are in the relief camps in the Imphal Valley,” he mentioned.

Some north eastern state that share boundaries with Myanmar, like Mizoram, was also seen as an emerging major route for drug trafficking from Myanmar. Reportedly, the state provides a route for smuggling of Yaba tablets (methamphetamine or meth) and other synthetic drugs to not just the northeastern region. It was observed that the drug smuggling is benefiting some terrorist groups in Myanmar.  

Following this issue, the NGOs in Mizoram claimed for long border fence that the state shares with Myanmar to be  fenced as drugs worth US dollar 136,526 were seized in February-March this year.

News