To manage her finances, she earns a living by vending basic necessities on a route leading to India. From her small store, she sees a new trench dug by the Indian government to serve as a boundary. The trench stretches along the edge of the border, serving as a symbol of the local inhabitants' struggle, trapped between two conflicts.

Since the military took over Myanmar by removing the elected government in 2021, there has been a growing resistance movement against the regime. The government is being blamed for attacking villages where supporters of democracy live. They have also made strict new rules for military service that have caused a lot of fear.

Since May 2023, there has been an ethnic conflict in Manipur, a northeastern state in India. This conflict involves a fight between the Meitei community, who mainly live in the valley areas, and the Kuki-Zo tribes, who live in the hills. The state government, mainly made up of Meitei lawmakers, is accused of favouritism, leading to Kukis moving from the valley to the hills and Meiteis heading in the opposite direction. Military forces are now watching over areas that keep the two regions apart.

The two conflicts have led to a humanitarian crisis, where false information and conspiracy theories worsen tensions, leaving many people without anywhere to seek refuge.

In late January, a new issue arose when a Meitei militia named the Arambai Tenggol formed in Imphal, the capital of Manipur, which is 110 kilometres away from the border. On January 24, many members of the group appeared, wearing camouflage and carrying weapons. They insisted that N. Biren Singh, the Chief Minister of Manipur from Narendra Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party, comply with demands that encompassed the construction of a border fence.

The capital has effectively become a stronghold for the Arambai Tenggol group, which maintains ties with leaders of the BJP, including Singh and Leishemba Sanajaoba, the hereditary monarch of Imphal and a BJP member of parliament.

Arambai Tenggol, which translates to "dart wielding cavalry" in Meitei, is an activist group in Manipur, India, frequently characterized as either a radical entity or a militant group with radical tendencies. This organization benefits from the support of Manipur's ceremonial king and member of parliament, Leishemba Sanajaoba, as well as the state's Chief Minister, N. Biren Singh.

Shortly after the militia delivered its ultimatum, Amit Shah, the Indian Home Minister, declared the termination of the Free Movement Regime. This policy had permitted residents within 16 km of the Myanmar border to cross freely without needing visas. Shah stated that the decision was taken to safeguard the country's internal security and preserve the demographic composition of the northeastern states of India that share a border with Myanmar.

The promise to fence the entire 1,643-kilometer border spanning four states (Mizoram, Manipur, Nagaland and Arunachal Pradesh.)in India is viewed by many as a political stunt in the lead-up to the nation's general elections in April and May. This is because dense forests along much of the border render it inaccessible.

The escalating conflict in Myanmar has heightened worries about refugees and instability, affecting not just India but also neighbouring countries such as Bangladesh, Thailand, and China.

For many people living close to the border with Manipur, their ethnic connections with the Kuki-Zo community naturally lead them to seek refuge there for safety. This also raises concerns: Leaders from the Meitei community claim that the Kukis are receiving backing from pro-democracy Kuki-Zo-Chin groups in Myanmar. Similarly, the Kukis accuse Meitei insurgents of seeking shelter under Myanmar's military government and are now re-emerging in Manipur.

The crisis has led to very strong political words. A lawmaker from the BJP, Lourembam Rameshwor Meetei, said during a meeting in Manipur on Friday that shooting people on sight might help stop people from Myanmar from coming in.

Some members of the Meitei community claim that refugees from Myanmar have inundated Manipur, changing the state's demographic composition, as hinted at in Shah's remarks. However, the majority of these refugees from Myanmar are struggling to survive, residing in settlements that are scarcely livable.

In one instance, over 50 women, along with their children, wait anxiously after their husbands were detained by the Manipur Police in January 2023.Hoikholam Baite, a 61-year-old woman, expressed that they live in constant fear of arrest and quickly hide in the jungle whenever vehicles resembling police jeeps are spotted approaching as reported by Nikkei Asia. The refugees are mostly uninformed about the Indian government's decision to terminate the free movement policy.

However, there is widespread resistance among the indigenous tribes residing on the Indian side of the border against the cessation of free movement. Originating from a time well before the establishment of contemporary nations, these communities have ethnic ties, customs, and traditions that go beyond the boundaries of countries.

"How often will the rights of the northeastern tribal people be disregarded in this manner?" questioned Khekiye K. Sema, a retired Indian official from the Naga tribe, during a conference held by several indigenous groups throughout northeastern India to protest the cessation of free movement. "According to Nikkei Asia, India is treating us as if we are less than second-class citizens," he added.

The town of Moreh exemplifies the transition from unrestricted borders to stringent regulation. In October, the assassination of a high-ranking Meitei police officer in Moreh, believed to be the work of Kuki militants, resulted in the deployment of additional Meitei police to a primarily Kuki area, exacerbating tensions. Accusations have been made against these officers for engaging in arson and physical attacks, and a purported ambush by Kuki forces led to the deaths of two additional Meitei officers.

Moreh, previously known for its vibrant marketplace and as a hub of trade visited by both Indians and Burmese under a bilateral friendship treaty and the Free Movement Regime, has now been transformed into practically a deserted town due to conflicts on both sides of the border and domestic turmoil.

Military forces are dispersed throughout the town, and many areas inhabited by Kukis have been sealed off by the locals themselves in anticipation of potential overreach by Meitei commando units. Educational institutions have been shuttered since November when students evacuated. The enforcement of a curfew has been slightly eased, allowing for a brief period of movement each day. Particularly concerning is the inadequate healthcare available to nearly 20,000 people in Moreh, as well as the residents of numerous surrounding villages.

Since May 2023, Chongneo Haokip has been leading as the chief nurse at Moreh's sole healthcare center. "There was a period when we had no doctors. The facility was maintained by just five of us nurses," she recounted, reflecting on the early stages of the conflict in Manipur. In addition to facing scarcities of personnel and medical supplies, she mentioned that armed forces have forcefully entered the clinic on occasions, under the suspicion that it was providing shelter to militants.

"Everyone is the same in our eyes, and we will provide equal treatment to both Meitei and Kuki. However, this is a hospital. Why would they come in armed?" Haokip questioned. Due to the situation, most pregnant Kuki women are advised to leave town to give birth. Since traveling to Imphal, which houses the state's top healthcare centers, is no longer an option for Kukis, they must endure a challenging eight-hour journey to Churachandpur in the mountainous region.

Moinu Singson stands as the sole auxiliary nurse and midwife left in Moreh capable of immunizing newborns and supplying essential nutrients to pregnant and nursing mothers. Since the onset of conflict in Manipur in May of the previous year, she has tirelessly worked to ensure infants receive their vaccinations, successfully adding 415 babies to her list, sometimes even purchasing necessary items such as syringes out of her own pocket. Additionally, she has provided immunizations to 82 infants from Myanmar. With the cessation of free movement, I'm uncertain if we can continue doing this," said Singson. (IPA Service)