NSCN-IM Firmly Opposes Scrapping of FMR, Rejects Proposed Border Fencing Along Myanmar Border

Opposing the Government of India’s recent announcement to scrap the Free Movement Regime (FMR), Isak-Muivah led NSCN-IM said that it will “not allow” the proposed border fencing along Myanmar border.

“Nagas are indigenous people with high level of political consciousness, cultural and social cohesion. They are also fully aware of the irrefutable historical narratives of the Naga nation that transcend the international barriers, oppressively created by the Indian and Myanmar governments without consulting the Nagas,” the NSCN-IM said.

According to the NSCN-IM, such manner of injustice and wrong conduct against the Nagas continues to haunt the Nagas till today.

“The Naga political movement came into existence with the avowed stand to defend the historical and political rights of the Naga nation and put to an end the hegemony of the government of India and Myanmar in the manner that is acceptable and honorable,” the group said.

The recent move of the Government of India to abolish the “time honored” FMR, it said, has come as a rude shock to the group in particular and to the whole Nagas in general.
“It reminds us of the treacherous division of the Nagas by the Prime Minister of India Jawaharlal Nehru and the Burmese Prime Minister U Nu in 1953. However, the fact remains that the Nagas have never accepted the arbitrary international boundary demarcation set up by these two prime ministers and the Nagas living on either sides of the so-called international border have remain as one family defying all the odds,” the NSCN-IM said.
The group is of the view that the Nagas, as one family, needs free movement from both sides.

“Ironically, the nature of the boundary demarcation was so cruel that it runs right through the house of Longwa King in Mon district. Nothing can be crueler than this while dividing the Naga family,” the group said.

On the issue of illegal immigrants, NSCN-IM said that the Naga themselves would control any illegal immigrant in the Naga soil.

“We will not allow any illegal immigrants in our territory. All said and done, we are totally against boundary fencing in our lands that violates our rights as one family. Simply put, NSCN will not allow the proposed boundary fencing that further divides the Naga family as a nation,” the NSCN-IM added.