Manipur: Tribal chiefs refuse land compensation, call halt to Indo-Myanmar border fencing

Sixteen Kuki village chiefs living along the India–Myanmar border have issued a strong “non-cooperation” declaration, refusing to accept land compensation or enter talks regarding the ongoing border fencing project. They are demanding an immediate halt to all fencing activities until their broader political demands — most notably, a separate administration for the Kuki-Zo people — are addressed and peace is restored in Manipur.

The 16 chiefs stated, “In the interest of the Kuki-Zo people, we are compelled to declare our non-cooperation by not claiming land compensation or entering into negotiations until our political demand is met and normalcy returns to the state.”

Their resistance is rooted both in the border fencing, which they argue disrupts mobility, ancestral land claims and community identity, and in severe ethnic tensions that have persisted since violence erupted in Manipur in May 2023.

Kuki organisations have long sought a separate administration, pushing for union territory status with a legislature, citing the ineffectiveness of traditional local governance and deep mistrust of the dominant Meitei-led state government — especially since the escalation of their demand to be acknowledged as Scheduled Tribes as well, gaining access to rights reserved for Adivasi groups in India.

The Meitei community staunchly opposes any such division, invoking the need to preserve the territorial and administrative integrity of Manipur.

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The ongoing ethnic conflict has left Manipur essentially split, with communities divided on valley and hill lines — Meiteis in the Imphal valley and Kuki-Zo tribes in the hill districts — resulting in over 260 deaths and tens of thousands displaced.

Public demonstrations, memorandums, and repeated rallies have been held against border fencing and the proposed end of the Free Movement Regime (FMR), a system that allows people on both sides of the border to move freely for trade and social ties.

Manipur’s international border with Myanmar spans 398 km, of which only 10 km have been fenced so far, amid growing concern from tribal communities that further work could spark deeper unrest.

The government’s ongoing attempts ‘peace talks’, including the recent renewal of the Suspension of Operations agreement with Kuki-Zo insurgent groups, have yet to make significant headway, much less resolve these fundamental demands — and the local leaders’ announcement marks a significant escalation in opposition to national policy on the frontier.

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