The Coordinating Committee on Manipur Integrity (COCOMI) has issued a stern warning to the Government of India against any move to cede even a small portion of Manipur’s territory to Myanmar as part of efforts to settle the long-pending India-Myanmar boundary dispute, declaring that it will launch a strong public response if such a proposal is implemented.
In a statement issued by Phijam Shyamchand, Convener of the IPR Sub-Committee of COCOMI, the organisation referred to a report published on July 17, 2026, in The Diplomat by journalist Rajeev Bhattacharya. The report, citing an official Government of India document, claimed that New Delhi was considering transferring 1.4 square miles of Manipur’s territory between Border Pillars 65 and 68 in Chandel district to Myanmar as part of the final boundary demarcation process.
According to the statement, the area in question lies along the Manipur-Myanmar border adjoining the Kabaw Valley and Myanmar’s Sagaing Region. COCOMI pointed out that the document, reportedly issued by the Ministry of External Affairs on May 26, 2026, proposed completing the boundary demarcation within three months. The organisation expressed concern that while the report clearly referred to Manipur land being handed over to Myanmar, it made no mention of any corresponding territory being transferred to India in return.
“If the contents of the report are true and the proposal is translated into action, COCOMI will not remain a silent spectator,” the statement asserted.
Describing Manipur’s territorial integrity as non-negotiable, COCOMI said the state’s existing boundaries were inherited from its forefathers and have been defended through generations. It maintained that since Manipur’s merger with the Indian Union in 1949, portions of its historical territory had already been lost and warned that any further reduction of the state’s geographical boundaries would be unacceptable.
The organisation reminded the Government of India that Manipur has witnessed some of the country’s most intense mass movements in defence of its identity, land and political rights. It cautioned that New Delhi should not “play with fire” by taking any decision affecting Manipur’s territorial integrity without the consent of its people.
COCOMI further noted that unresolved boundary disputes continue to exist along several stretches of the India-Myanmar border, including Border Pillars 64-68 (Molcham), 75-79 (Moreh), and 88-95 (Choro Khunou). It criticised successive governments for failing to resolve these issues despite the formation of a Cabinet Sub-Committee by the Manipur Government in 2000 to examine the boundary dispute.
Referring to reports surrounding Myanmar leader Min Aung Hlaing’s recent visit to India, COCOMI said media reports had indicated that the boundary issue, including the installation of auxiliary pillars in the Molcham sector, had figured in bilateral discussions. The organisation questioned whether efforts to improve India-Myanmar relations were being pursued at the cost of Manipur’s territorial interests.