16 Kuki-Zo Indo-Myanmar Border Chiefs Declare “Non-Cooperation” Over Border Fencing

In a decisive move, sixteen Kuki-Zo village chiefs along the Indo-Myanmar border have jointly declared “total non-cooperation” with the Government of India’s ongoing border fencing project, stating that no land compensation or negotiation will be entertained until their political demands are met and peace returns to Manipur.

“This is not about money—it is about our rights, our land, and our survival,” the chiefs declared in a strongly worded communiqué on Monday.

The statement slams the Government of India’s push for border fencing and the scrapping of the Free Movement Regime (FMR), warning that the moves strike at the heart of borderland communities’ identity, mobility, and ancestral lands.

The chiefs reminded that repeated press releases, memorandums, and rallies from the Kuki-Zo community had already conveyed deep opposition, yet their voices have gone unheeded. They also pointed out that the United Naga Council (UNC) had raised similar objections, even meeting the government, but with “no consensus result.”

Declaring a policy of non-cooperation, the chiefs categorically announced, no acceptance of land compensation; no participation in negotiations; no recognition of fencing activities until political solutions are secured.

They demanded the immediate suspension of fencing work in affected villages and the withdrawal of forces and equipment from construction sites to prevent further confrontation.

“This is not merely a compensation issue—it is a fight for our political rights and the protection of our people on the Indo-Myanmar frontier,” the statement concluded.

The joint stand of the 16 chiefs marks the most uncompromising opposition yet from tribal leaders, sending a clear warning to New Delhi that the fencing project risks igniting deeper unrest unless halted.