Top NSCN (K-YA) leader Starson Lamkang surrenders amid peace talks

KOHIMA: A top National Socialist Council of Nagaland (K-Yung Aung) militant along with 52 other cadres surrendered recently, security agencies said on Saturday. The surrender of 53 NSCN (K-YA) members on Friday is a major success for the Indian Army, Assam Rifles and the Myanmar Army.

"Starson Lamkang, a Manipuri Naga from Lamkang tribe of National Socialist Council of Nagaland (K-Yung Aung) surrendered on December 25 along with 52 other cadres,” a top Government source has been quoted as saying.

It needs mention here that the NSCN (K-YA) is the only Naga faction which has not observed a ceasefire with the security forces and is not part of the ongoing peace talks.

NSCN (K-YA) led by Khaplang abrogated the ceasefire with the Indian Government in 2015.

The group has been responsible for a series of violent incidents, extortion and recruitment in the North-Eastern region and became the focus of operations by both the Indian Army and the Tatmadaw (Myanmar Army).

After Khaplang, Khango Konyak, an Indian Naga, became the chairman of the outfit in 2017.

There was resentment over this move and by mid-2018, Khango had been ousted and replaced by Yung Aung.

Konyak moved with his supporters back to India and joined the ongoing Naga peace process, signing the ceasefire in 2019.

This opened the doors for the remaining Indian-origin leaders and cadres of the NSCN (K-YA) to also join the peace process.

Relentless domination of the India - Myanmar border and the hinterland areas severely restricted the operating space of the insurgents. Their troubles were compounded with the conduct of coordinated operations with the Tatmadaw in 2019 and 2020.

This resulted in clearing out of the NSCN (K-YA) headquarters at Taga and severe restrictions on the camps opposite Nagaland and southern Arunachal Pradesh.

This also resulted in apprehension/surrender of a large number of insurgents and signing of the Memorandum of Settlement by the National Democratic Front of Boroland groups in January, 2020. Communication channels were kept open with tribal groups and civil society organisations as outreach to the Indian - origin leaders and cadres of the NSCN (K-YA) to bring them into the folds of the peace process.

A dynamic counter-intelligence and counter-terrorism grid was maintained by reorganising the command and control of the security forces under the Inspector General, Assam Rifles (North), at Kohima.

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