The Longwa Village Council has appealed to the Union Government to reconsider its decision to discontinue the Free Movement Regime (FMR) and construct border fencing along the Indo-Myanmar border, citing the unique historical, cultural and geographical circumstances of Longwa Village.
In a memorandum submitted to Union Minister of State for Home Affairs, Nityanand Rai, the Council urged the Government of India to accord special consideration to Longwa, a border village in Mon district that has remained socially and culturally united despite being divided by the international boundary.
The Council stated that Longwa is home to nearly 6,000 people residing across both India and Myanmar, but continues to function as a single community under one Anghship, one Church and one traditional administrative system. According to the memorandum, the village comprises around 990 households spread across both countries, with approximately 170 households—including the residence of the Chief Angh, a Government Primary School, church, morungs, shops and other public properties—located directly on the international boundary.
It further noted that Longwa possesses eight jhum cultivation areas and two forest reserves, of which four jhum fields and one forest reserve fall within Myanmar territory.
The Council recalled that Longwa traces its origin to the 16th century following the migration of its people from Pongchau in present-day Arunachal Pradesh. It stated that the village was divided only during the joint Indo-Myanmar boundary demarcation carried out in 1970-71, when the international boundary was drawn through the middle of the village without the informed consent of its inhabitants.
“Had the people been fully aware that their ancestral village would be divided, they would not have accepted such an arrangement,” the memorandum signed by Chief Angh Tonyei Phawang and Longwa Village Chairman Yanlang Konyak stated.
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Despite the international boundary, the Council said the people of Longwa have continued to live as one community for generations, maintaining peaceful coexistence with relatives and fellow villagers across the border without significant border-related conflict. It emphasized that their shared history, culture, traditions and family ties have remained intact despite the political division.
Expressing concern over the Centre’s decision announced on January 20, 2024, to scrap the Free Movement Regime and fence the Indo-Myanmar border, the Council said the FMR has played a crucial role in preserving the social, cultural and familial ties of border communities.
According to the memorandum, the proposed border fencing and withdrawal of the FMR would severely disrupt the traditional way of life in Longwa by separating families, restricting access to ancestral agricultural lands and forest reserves, and weakening centuries-old cultural and social bonds shared by the community.
In light of these concerns, the Longwa Village Council appealed to the Union Minister to intervene and recommend reconsideration of the policy, particularly in areas affecting Longwa Village. It urged the Government of India to take into account the village’s unique historical, cultural and geographical realities while formulating policies concerning the Indo-Myanmar border.
The Council expressed hope that the Union Government would sympathetically consider its appeal and take appropriate steps in the interest of justice and the welfare of the people of Longwa.
