DIMAPUR, JANUARY 15 (MExN): The Naga Hoho has opposed the removal of the Free Movement Regime in the Indo-Myanmar borderland.
A press release from the Naga Hoho said that the Naga people are scattered across four Indian states—Nagaland, Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, and Manipur— and within the Naga Self-Administered Zones in Sagaing Division and Kachin state in Myanmar. Out of over 66 Naga tribes more than 30 Naga tribes resides in Myanmar, it informed.
It further stated that the Nagas have consistently rejected the “artificial demarcation” of the border. “For more than 80 years, the division caused by the duplicity separation line has remained a fundamental source of conflicts and insurgencies in the North-East Frontier Region, contributing significantly to the Indo-Naga and Burmese-Naga conflicts,” it said.
The Naga Hoho noted that throughout history, the Naga community has engaged in continuous migration, fostering enduring historical and cultural ties. Despite the historical impositions of British colonialism and subsequent dominion by India and Myanmar, the Naga populace has persistently maintained cordial ancestral connections, facilitating cross-border movements without much obstruction, it said.
However, it lamented that the deployment of security forces “under the guise of safeguarding Indian territory” has presented impediments for the Nagas residing in the Indo-Myanmar borderland.
Naga tribes located in the Indo-Myanmar borderland persist in the shared observance of marital, cultural events, festivals, and familial programs, underscoring the resilience of these historical and cultural bonds, it maintained.
The Naga Hoho also informed that the borderland serves as a significant hub for traditional trade among the Nagas, a function that has been recently integrated into the Act East Policy. Despite these strides, it observed that the borderland grapples with critical infrastructural deficiencies, including inadequate roadways, healthcare facilities, access to electricity, and educational institutions. It said that the government's attention is urgently required to address these lacunae and enhance people-to-people relations, thereby fostering a renewed diplomatic association with Myanmar.
The Naga Hoho underscored the inherent freedom of the Naga people, and asserted that any state intervention impinging upon their fundamental human rights will not be tolerated. It reminded that the implementation of the Free Movement Regime (FMR) in 2018 was received as a positive development by people inhabiting the Indo-Myanmar borderland. It therefore opposed the recent proposal to curtail the Free Movement Regime as the majority of the Indo-Myanmar borderland is inhabited by the Nagas.
It observed that the ongoing domestic conflict in Manipur has ensnared the entire borderland region, eliciting a reactive response from the state that lacks a comprehensive vision. “The borderland should emerge as a dynamic center for trade and communication, promoting regional development without compromising the rights, security and tranquillity of its inhabitants and not a site of conflict and contestation,” the Naga Hoho stated.
It said that any endeavour to abolish the Free Movement Regime is antithetical to the interests of the Nagas, obstructing the historical and cultural ties that transcend national boundaries. The Naga Hoho affirmed its commitment to safeguard the fundamental rights of the Naga people and advocate for policies that encourage mutual understanding, cooperation, and sustainable development in the Indo-Myanmar borderland.
