Kuki organisations in Moreh, a border town in Manipur’s Tengnoupal district, have strongly opposed the Centre’s plans to construct a border fence along the India-Myanmar frontier, urging local residents to withhold land for the project.

On Monday evening, at least six Kuki groups warned that the proposed fencing would disrupt the socio-cultural ties of communities straddling the international border and threaten their traditional way of life, Deccan Herald reported.

The organisations also rejected what they called a “malicious narrative” that portrays Kuki communities as illegal migrants.

Moreh, a key trading hub located on the Indo-Myanmar border, has a significant Kuki population. The town has been at the centre of ethnic tensions, with ongoing conflict between the Kuki and Meitei communities forcing many Meiteis to flee from the valley areas.

The appeal from the Kuki organisations poses a challenge to the Union government’s ambitious plan to fence the 1,643-kilometre-long Myanmar border.

In January, the Centre approved over Rs 30,000 crore for the fencing project, citing concerns over illegal migration and security threats.

While the Meitei community has largely welcomed the move, tribal groups such as the Kukis, Nagas, and Mizos have launched protests, arguing that the fencing would divide ethnic communities that share deep familial and cultural ties across the international boundary.

They have also opposed the scrapping of the Free Movement Regime (FMR), which had previously allowed cross-border travel within a 16-kilometre radius without a visa.