NSCN (K) Not To Sign Ceasefire With Myanmar Army, To Continue Fight For 'Naga Cause'

Myanmar, June 4, 2019:

The Naga insurgents National Socialist Council of Nagaland-Khaplang (NSCN-K) has confirmed that they will not be signing an agreement with the Myanmar Army despite 'repeated aggression' by the Myanmar Government in recent times.

The NSCN (K) faction has said that they wish to continue their fight for "sovereignty" of the Naga people.

Speaking to News18, the ministry of publicity (MIP) in-charge of NSCN (K) Joseph Lamkang, said Myanmar  doesn’t care for the "real aspiration" of the Nagas. The seven years ceasefire only benefited them as it was one-sided, he said. He has also said that the NSCN started to feel that they have been at the receiving end of the Myanmar government’s operations. He has said that in the last three years, they have been aggressively forcing the NSCN to sign the NCA, but they have not done so. He has also alleged that the Myanmar Govt has become "aggressive" at the negotiating table, stopped all their supply routes and have applied their ‘four cuts’ policy.’

Lamkang added that Myanmar is well versed with the Naga issue, and has criticized the Myanmar Government for its push to sign the NCA.

The Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement (NCA) was a landmark ceasefire agreement between the government of Myanmar and representatives of various ethnic insurgent groups, officially known as "ethnic armed organisations" (EAOs) by the government.

The draft was agreed upon by a majority of the invited parties on 31 March 2015, and the agreement was signed by President Thein Sein on 15 October 2015. The signing was witnessed by observers and delegates from the United Nations, the United Kingdom, Norway, Japan and the United States. A ceremony is held by the government annually on the anniversary of the signing of the agreement.

The government of Myanmar originally sent invitations to 15 different ethnic insurgent groups, inviting them to participate in long-term peace negotiations. However, seven of those invited declined or dropped out during negotiations due to alleged unfairness.

The Lahu Democratic Union and the New Mon State Party later joined the ceasefire and signed the agreement on February 13, 2018.

Hostilities between the Tatmadaw and the Naga insurgent group have risen since over 400 soldiers from six battalions led by the Hkamti district tactical commander under the Tatmadaw’s North-West Command took control of the NSCN (K)’s headquarters in Ta Ga area of Myanmar.

The Tatmadaw has accused the NSCN (K) of supporting insurgent groups of Indian origin, including ULFA (I), National Democratic Front of Boroland (S), KLO, PDCK, KYKL, PREPAK, etc.

(With inputs from News18)

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