Members of the Railway Affected Landowners Association from Karuangmuan Nungtek Village organized a significant protest on Saturday to contest land encroachment issues identified at chainage numbers 87387-88500. The demonstrators, brandishing flex banners, demanded recognition of their traditional land rights and condemned perceived authorities’ oppression, articulating slogans such as “No settlement, no work,” “Respect our Traditional Land Rights,” and “Don’t Suppress us in the behest of Development.”
Forceson Khumba, the Chairman of the association, emphasized that the protest would persist until their concerns were adequately addressed. He revealed that a memorandum was presented to the Deputy Commissioner of Noney on January 30, 2026, alongside a notice to the relevant Railway authority, demanding the resolution of the land encroachment issue by February 10 of the current year. With no actions taken by the railway authorities thus far, Khumba warned that the association is prepared to halt all railway construction activities in the region.
Khumba asserted, “We will not allow the authorities to ignore our concerns and push through development projects without proper settlement of our land rights.” He cautioned that if the authorities do not take decisive measures to tackle the situation, the protests are likely to escalate. This continued unrest reflects a broader struggle for land rights against perceived governmental indifference and prioritization of development over community concerns.