The All Naga Students’ Association Manipur (ANSAM) has issued an urgent appeal to the United Nations and UNPO to intervene in halting the ongoing construction of the border fence along the Indo-Myanmar border. The construction, initiated by the Government of India, has led to the unilateral scrapping of the Freedom of Movement Regime (FMR), which was a critical mechanism that had enabled the cross-border Naga population to maintain generational social, cultural, and economic ties.
The dismantling of the FMR and the erection of the border fence are having devastating effects on the Naga communities straddling both sides of the international boundary. Once able to move freely to attend school, seek medical treatment, trade goods, and visit relatives, Nagas are now confronted with barbed wire and restricted mobility, an outcome that ANSAM and other Naga organizations strongly condemn. The fence not only undermines Indigenous rights but also violates international human rights norms, including Article 36 of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP), which guarantees the right of Indigenous peoples divided by international borders to maintain and develop cross-border relations for cultural, social, economic, and spiritual purposes.
In its statement, ANSAM reminds the international community that the Indo-Myanmar border was arbitrarily drawn during the colonial era, splitting the Naga homeland without the free, prior, and informed consent of the affected communities. For generations, Naga peoples on both sides of the border have maintained peaceful relations rooted in shared history, culture, and identity. The current fencing project threatens to erase these ties and further entrench the historical injustice faced by the Naga people.
According to recent reporting by the Associated Press, the Government of India has intensified its border fencing project in response to concerns over national security, drug trafficking, and instability in Myanmar. However, for Indigenous communities like the Nagas, this securitization approach comes at a severe cost. The scrapping of the FMR, which had existed for over five decades, not only disrupts traditional cross-border trade but also jeopardizes access to essential services such as education and healthcare for borderland communities.
In its Memorandum, ANSAM calls for the reinstatement of the Freedom of Movement Regime and urges the Government of India to initiate peaceful and inclusive dialogue with Naga representatives. Such dialogue must be built upon the 2015 Framework Agreement, which aimed to address the Indo-Naga conflict and to recognize the unique history and aspirations of the Naga people. Moreover, ANSAM urges the Government of India to consult meaningfully with Indigenous communities living along the border to explore alternative, rights-respecting approaches to border management that address security concerns without violating Indigenous rights or severing community ties.
UNPO, of which the Naga people have been members since 1993, has worked in close partnership with Naga civil society to raise international awareness of their rights and political aspirations. In April 2025, UNPO delivered a statement at the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues (UNPFII), denouncing the construction of the Indo-Myanmar border fence and the revocation of the FMR as violations of Indigenous rights. More recently, and building on recent calls made by Naga organizations such as ANSAM, UNPO delivered a joint statement in collaboration with the Global Naga Forum during the 18th session of the Expert Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (EMRIP) to raise concerns about the Naga people’s right to traditional economies and the ongoing human rights violations faced by the community across Myanmar and the Indian occupied states of Nagaland, Arunachal Pradesh, Assam and Manipur.
UNPO supports the efforts of ANSAM as a key youth organization representing Naga voices, and echoes their call for the Government of India to engage in meaningful and peaceful dialogue with Indigenous communities and to comply with its obligations under international law.
UNPO stands alongside ANSAM and Naga organizations in calling on the international community to uphold the rights of the Indigenous Naga peoples, and encourages the United Nations, EMRIP, and UNPFII to join these collaborative efforts and stand with the Naga people.
The dismantling of the Freedom of Movement Regime and the construction of the border fence not only contravene international standards but threaten to irreparably damage the cultural, economic, and social fabric of Naga life. It is imperative that Indigenous voices are heard, respected, and meaningfully included in decisions that affect their future.
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