The United Naga Council (UNC) suspended its indefinite “trade embargo” on Thursday (September 11, 2025), a day after a plea from the Manipur government.The UNC, an apex Naga body of Manipur, enforced the “trade embargo” from the midnight of September 8 in protest against the Centre’s decision to fence the 1,643 km India-Myanmar border and scrap the Free Movement Regime (FMR), which allows document-free travel for border residents in each other’s country up to 10 km from the boundary line dividing the two countries.H. James Hau, the publicity and information secretary of the UNC, said in a statement that the organisation’s emergency presidential council decided to suspend the trade embargo across the Naga-majority areas after receiving a letter from Manipur’s Chief Secretary Puneet Kumar Goel on September 10 for the resumption of tripartite talks on the twin issues of border fencing and the FMR.The UNC has been engaging with the Ministry of Home Affairs and the State government on both the issues.Also Read | Kuki-Zo groups say as per revised SoO pact future talks with government will focus on UT with legislature“The assurance of the government that there will be prior consultation with the UNC and other stakeholders before the stated works (border fencing) are taken up was well received,” Mr. Hau stated, while announcing the suspension of the trade embargo.Hundreds of trucks and other non-passenger commercial vehicles were stranded on roads, especially the arterial National Highway 2, that pass through Naga-majority areas before touching Manipur’s Imphal Valley, the State’s administrative hub.Manipur’s Naga organisations have been demanding the reinstatement of FMR (although it continues with a limited scope) and an immediate halt to the border fencing work. They said their traditional boundary extends up to the Chindwin river in Myanmar.Nagas have a sizeable population in Myanmar, particularly in the Sagaing region, adjoining Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, and Manipur.An 11-member delegation of the UNC and two other Naga organisations held talks on the twin issues with the Centre in New Delhi on August 26. The talks were inconclusive.In a memorandum submitted to Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla earlier, the UNC had stated that Nagas living across the border shared all ties with the Nagas on this side of the border in terms of socio-economic, cultural, religious, land matters, etc.“These bonds predate the colonial demarcation of boundaries and are integral to our identity, traditions, and way of life. As such, abrupt abrogation of FMR and construction of physical border fencing ... have adversely impacted and disrupted the natural flow of community and familial interdependent relationship…” the memorandum read. Published - September 11, 2025 11:59 am IST