DIMAPUR, DECEMBER 7 (MExN): The Kachin Wesean Students Association (KWSA), an ethnic wing of the Wesean Student Federation, has strongly condemned the Government of India’s decision to abolish the Free Movement Regime (FMR), a move that disrupts the natural connections between families and communities, especially those of the Kachin people across the India-Myanmar border.
In a press statement issued by Ayong Singpho, Unification Coordinator (India), the KWSA asserted that Kachins should not need the permission of either the Indian or Myanmar governments to visit their own kin. “The bond between the Kachin people is rooted in centuries of shared culture, language, and bloodlines, and it predates the existence of both nations. Our relationships are not dictated by governments, but are formed through the enduring ties of our heritage,” it stated.
In a message to the Naga community, the KWSA respectfully urged that Singphos and other Kachin groups should not be claimed as part of the Naga identity. While we deeply respect the Naga people and cherish the connection we share, it is vital that our distinct identities are recognized and respected, it stated adding, forcing Kachins into another identity or claiming them under a different banner is not unity; it is coercion, and it will be resisted.
The KWSA also addressed the Naga Hoho, stating with clarity that the Singphos and the Lisu/Yobin people are Kachins and no external group or organization has the right to redefine or claim them.
It requested that the Naga Hoho and others recognize the Kachin identity and refrain from practices that seek to divide communities. True unity among our communities must honor and preserve each group’s unique heritage, not undermine it.
