ASIA/INDIA – Archbishop Neli: “We need to consider whether closing the border between Manipur and Myanmar will have peaceful effects”

Imphal – “Here in Manipur, we find ourselves in a situation similar to that in Korea or in divided Germany, where the same people are separated by a border. The Kuki-Zo people live partly in the Indian state of Manipur and partly across the border in Myanmar. This border, established by the British Empire, has always been very permeable due to cultural and social similarities. Now, India’s project to build a fence is putting decades-old customs and exchanges into crisis,” explains Linus Neli, Archbishop of Imphal, the capital of Manipur, to Fides, referring to the situation in the state where the federal government plans to build a fence along the more than 1,600-kilometer-long border with Myanmar. Representatives of at least 16 tribal villages of the Kuki-Zo people in Manipur have opposed the restriction of the current freedom of movement of people from both countries, writing to the government to point out “the serious impact this measure will have on the local population” in a context such as that of the state of Manipur, which is already torn by conflict between the Meitei majority population and the Kuki-Zo , as well as other minorities. Following the violent clashes in May 2023 between the Meitei and Kuki-Zo tribes, over 60,000 people have been displaced, and the various ethnic groups are isolated in strictly separate areas. The tribal groups have demanded the division of the state and a separate administration for the tribal-majority areas, but the Meitei oppose this, and the central and federal governments have not yet agreed to this request. Given these tensions, Archbishop Neli stated, “a government measure to fence the entire 400-kilometer-long Manipur-Myanmar border raises problems.” This is a section of the border that separates India from Myanmar for more than 1,600 km and touches the Indian states of Mizoram, Manipur, Nagaland, and Arunachal Pradesh, while on the Burmese side, the states of Kachin, Sagaing, and Chin are affected. The Indian government has announced that it will fence the border with Myanmar to facilitate monitoring and patrolling along the border, thereby “de facto” abolishing the free movement of people and goods with Myanmar that has existed since the 1950s. “On the one hand, the federal government argues with regard to issues of security and monitoring criminal activities such as drug trafficking and smuggling. On the other hand, the tribal members would be socially and economically disadvantaged in their daily lives, and geographically, it is also quite difficult to secure the border because of the forests, rivers, and mountains there,” notes Archbishop Neli. He continues: “The local population is asking: Where will this plan lead? What impact will it have? Won’t it exacerbate existing tensions? I believe we must proceed cautiously, consider the various aspects, and look with foresight at the long-term consequences, especially with regard to peace in Manipur.” “We are working and striving for a lasting peace,” Archbishop Neli concluded. “We are committed to this with all our strength. The solution to the conflict must be political, based on justice and fairness, and recognizing the rights of all. We recognize that this is difficult, because if one side is satisfied, the other is dissatisfied. But this is precisely the task and the ability of mediators: As Christians, we seek to rebuild mutual trust, which can then bear good fruits of goodwill and peace.”

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