BORDERS WITHOUT CONSENT

GNF hosts International Hybrid Seminar on FMR

Our Correspondent
Kohima | April 28

The International Hybrid Seminar on the Free Movement Regime (FMR), organized by the Global Naga Forum (GNF), held today, resolved to reject all forms of fencing and surveillance imposed under the pretext of national security or drug control.

The seminar, held under the theme “Borders Without Consent: The Naga Struggle Against Forced Division and Surveillance” at the National Institute of Electronics & Technology (NIELIT) in Kohima, resolved to "Defend our homeland and our people through united, cross-border collaboration" and to "resist peacefully, grounded in indigenous wisdom, international law, and our enduring unity."

In his address, Global Naga Forum (GNF) convenor Chuba Ozukum said that the decision by the Government of India to dismantle the Free Movement Regime (FMR) and impose biometric surveillance and fencing over Naga homeland threatens not only the Naga way of life but also their identity.

“It disregards international standards of indigenous rights enshrined under instruments like the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP),” said Ozukum.

He said the Indo-Myanmar border, drawn without the consent of the Naga people, “continues to divide ancestral lands and lives.” “Yet, for generations, we Nagas have remained connected, overcoming the barriers imposed upon us,” Ozukum said.

Ozukum said this seminar witnessed solidarity partners from Myanmar and Arunachal Pradesh, leaders of counterpart civil society organizations, teachers and student from Nagaland University including Prof. Paul Pimomo from USA, James Pochury from Bangkok, Augustine from Shanghai and Athong from Chiangmai.

“Today's seminar is not just an academic discussion. It is a collective assertion of our history, our rights, and our future,” Ozukum stated.

GNF co-convenor Prof Rosemary Dzüvichü delivered the keynote address at session-1.

Atimiu Jongs, President, Eastern Naga Students’ Association Myanmar delivered solidarity message at session-1 and shared the voice from the people affected by scrapping of FMR.

Through the seminar, representatives from diverse Naga organizations, political parties, civil society groups, students, scholars, concerned citizens, and solidarity partners from across Naga territories and beyond issued a Joint Recommendation in response to the Government of India's unilateral decision to scrap the FMR and enforce border fencing and biometric surveillance along the Indo-Myanmar border—within Naga ancestral lands.

Joint Recommendations 
The recommendation urged the Government of India to recognize that resolving the long-standing Indo-Naga political issue is of far greater importance and urgency than introducing new layers of confusion and unrest by scrapping the Free Movement Regime (FMR). It emphasized that a just and honorable political settlement should be the Government’s top priority, rather than actions that exacerbate mistrust and hardship among the Naga people.

The recommendation stated that the Indo-Myanmar border is an illegitimate imposition. "The Naga homeland is not a buffer zone, but the ancestral land of a people who predate modern nation-states. The boundary drawn in 1952 was done without Naga consent and continues to divide our land and people."

It also condemned the scrapping of the FMR and the introduction of biometric surveillance, calling these measures oppressive. “These measures criminalize our kinship ties, restrict indigenous mobility, and erode our way of life. We reject them as violations of both human and indigenous rights.”

The recommendation categorically opposed any form of border fencing or militarized infrastructure, stating, “Such actions threaten our identity and unity, turning our homeland into a zone of fear and control. However, this moment also presents an opportunity—a call for unity.”

It further stated that the widespread opposition expressed by all Naga political groups, civil society organizations, and student bodies must now transform into collective resistance to defend Naga rights and their future as one people.

The recommendation stressed that the right to live, trade, worship, and move freely across ancestral lands is non-negotiable. "This right is not only rooted in history but is also upheld by international instruments such as the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP)."

The recommendation called on the State Government of Nagaland and all Naga representatives—regardless of state or political affiliation—to take a firm stand against fencing and surveillance. It warns that any compromise on land, movement, or inherent rights would be a betrayal of the Naga political vision rooted in unity, dignity, and self-determination.

“Our unity transcends artificial borders. Whether in India or Myanmar, we reaffirm our shared destiny as one people and reject any attempt to divide us,” the recommendation stated.

Seeking regional and international solidarity, the recommendation called upon indigenous networks, human rights defenders, and democratic institutions worldwide to stand with the Naga people and hold governments accountable to international standards.

GNF convenor Chuba Ozukum and co-convenor Prof. Rosemary Dziivichiü signed the joint recommendation on behalf of all participants.