The chiefs declared they will not be responsible for consequences if fencing resumes despite their collective objection. They urged authorities to halt construction until the Kuki-Zo people achieve a Separate Administration from Manipur.
BY PC Bureau
October 15, 2025: In a significant development from Manipur’s Indo-Myanmar border, village chiefs from the Kuki-Zo dominated areas of Chandel District have issued a joint press statement firmly opposing the ongoing border fencing work being carried out by the Border Roads Task Force (BRTF). The statement, dated October 15, 2025, reflects growing resentment among the local population over what they describe as unilateral construction activities without community consultation.
Issued after collective deliberations, the village chiefs declared their unanimous decision to oppose and prohibit any continuation of the fencing work within their respective jurisdictions. They warned that if the BRTF proceeds with construction despite their objection, they would not be held responsible for any consequences that may follow.
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“We earnestly urge the concerned authorities to immediately halt all construction activities until such time the Kuki-Zo people attain a Separate Administration from the state of Manipur,” the chiefs said in their joint statement.
The declaration was signed by the traditional leaders of several border settlements including Khumkut, C. Gamnom, Thingphai, Khangting, Changpol, TS Laiyang, Gamphajol, New Samtal, T. Nampao, Joldam, Phaisan, New Chandon, Molcham, and LH Jangnomphai villages—all located along or near the Indo-Myanmar frontier under Chandel district.
The signatories, representing a broad cross-section of Kuki-Zo border communities, said they were compelled to issue the clarification following rising pressure from villagers and the general public concerned about the implications of the ongoing fencing project. According to the chiefs, the construction threatens to divide ancestral lands and disrupt traditional routes used by border residents, who share close ethnic and familial ties across the Myanmar boundary.
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This latest move underscores the escalating tensions in Manipur’s border belt, where questions of territorial control and ethnic identity have taken on renewed urgency amid ongoing demands for a Separate Administration for Kuki-Zo areas. The collective decision by multiple village authorities marks one of the strongest public rejections yet of central infrastructure activity in the region, signaling a deepening divide between the community and state agencies.
Officials have not yet issued an immediate response to the statement, but sources within the district administration said efforts are underway to prevent any confrontation on the ground.
