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08/27/2005: "It is our birthright to determine our own happiness: Naga Hoho # UNI"

It is our birthright to determine our own happiness: Naga Hoho # UNI Appeal to all Naga National Workers to join Rally Morung Express News August 26 DIMAPUR: In its continued pursuance for unification of Naga areas, the Naga Hoho in a press communiqué issued by the Publicity Secretary to The Morung Express stated it is "our birthright to self-determine our own happiness and sadness at our own will." While acknowledging the long standing struggle against "Indian and Burmese domination" to live freely as a nation has brought about suffering, it recognized the urgency to have peace. Raising concerns and fears of an uncertain future, the communiqué recognized that "We are thrown into a situation where we have become very unsure of ourselves, very uncertain about our future, whether our homes will burn again, whether the modesty of our womenfolk will be violated again, whether we will be re-grouped again, whether our culture and histories will be distorted again, and whether incivility and killings will take place amongst our brothers and sisters again." The communiqué said that there are "agencies that work tirelessly to divide the people and to instigate "our good age-old neighbours against our rights to live as a people."
In an emotional tribute to past Naga leaders and while sharing its vision for the future, the communiqué affirmed that "We desire to live as free people, to protect our lands, to live together and to govern our own selves. This is not a new agenda. Our wise ancestors had managed our affairs with wisdom. Our great leaders who laid the foundation of Naga nationalism were great visionaries. We respect and cherish that greatness. Many of them had sacrificed so selflessly for our Naga nation. We adhere to the principles they laid down for us – we still will continue our fight to protect and defend what they stood for. The Nagas are not asking much – to live happily and prosperously, in dignity, in our own lands, is a universal birthright."
The Naga Hoho informed that it’s proposed Rally on the 31st of August is a manifestation to "once again uphold our desire and Will to live as free people Together. It is our most urgent Desire that we have peace in our lands. For us peace also means that we live under the same political unit. We will not like to see individual lives and the Naga nation suffer because of territorial differences created and imposed upon us by external and subjugating forces." In its most eager demonstration of reaching out to all, the Naga Hoho said "we appeal to each and every Naga and all the various Naga National Workers including all non-Naga indigenous inhabitants to come forward for the Rally. We want to spread this message strongly and univocally that we will not fail in our times, that we will not allow our children to live in shame tomorrow." The rally is scheduled to take place at 10:00am on 31st August at the Kohima Local ground.
Ibobi offers fresh talks to Nagas
Imphal, Aug. 25: Manipur chief minister Okram Ibobi Singh sent a fresh invitation for talks to the state’s Naga student leadership amid frenzied speculation about the resumption of the highway blockade that tormented the state for 52 days. The All Naga Students’ Association of Manipur, which “temporarily” lifted the blockade on August 11, is planning a rally in Kohima on August 31, after which it might block the state’s supply routes again in collaboration with the Naga Students’ Federation. It has accused the Ibobi government of not trying to remove apprehension in the minds of the Nagas over the declaration of the anniversary of the 2001 uprising in the valley as “state integrity day”.
An official source said Ibobi’s offer of talks was conveyed to the organisation yesterday.
Though the student leadership has been requested to come to Imphal for negotiations, Ibobi is expected to be flexible about the venue this time. The Naga leaders had rejected previous invitations to talks because of the chief minister’s refusal to meet them anywhere outside the state capital.
Ibobi today continued his tour of the Naga-dominated districts. A source said he could meet representatives of the Naga organisation in any of these hill districts. “We sent a fresh invitation yesterday and we are hopeful that the students will respond positively this time. We are also hopeful that the issue will be resolved during the talks,” the chief minister told the media this afternoon.

Ibobi yesterday met leaders of the Zomi Students’ Federation in Churachandpur district to work out the modalities for an agreement that was formalised this afternoon. Zomi students were campaigning for compensation to the families of 11 people killed recently by security forces and militant outfits, appointment of adequate number of teachers in schools and colleges and improvement of infrastructure in government offices. The chief minister was scheduled to start his tour of the hill districts with a visit to Chandel, but changed his itinerary to meet the Zomi student leadership. “I will be visiting Chandel, Senapati, Ukhrul and Tamenglong district to assess the extent of damage to government office buildings by Naga students during their agitation. If they come forward to meet me during the tour, I cannot say no. I will have to meet them. If we stick to our guns on the choice of venue, there will be no talks.”
The Naga organisation had begun its highway blockade on June 19, perceiving the government’s decision to legitimise the 2001 uprising as a challenge to the goal of integrating all Naga-inhabited areas of the region. The uprising in the valley was against Delhi’s decision — later reversed — to extend its ceasefire with the NSCN (Isak-Muivah) beyond Nagaland. [telegraphindia]
Ibobi, a leader without sincerity: UNC Newmai News Network August 26
Senapati: The United Naga Council ( UNC ) has called Manipur chief minister O.Ibobi Singh as a leader without sincerity saying that the former had taken strong exception to the "insincerity" of the later in finding a solution to the non-cooperation movement called by the All Naga Students’ Association, Manipur ( ANSAM ). It may be recalled that at the request of the Naga Hoho, consequent to the request made by the prime minister of India and the Union home minister, the ANSAM had suspended their agitation but no visible efforts have been made by the state government to resolve the issue till date, stated UNC president Puni Modoli while informing to Newmai News Network today. The UNC president further stated that the economic blockade had affected every person in the state in a greater or lesser degree in different areas.
He then said, "despite the efforts of the UNC and Naga Hoho, O.Ibobi Singh and his government does not appear to appreciate lifting of the economic blockade but is rather challenging the ANSAM. This attitude has deeply hurt the Naga people and steeled their resolve." Puni Modoli also said that the UNC had held its meeting at Senapati on August-24 and had resolved that "it will fully support the ANSAM if they (ANSAM) decide to re-impose and further intensify the non-cooperation movement which includes the economic blockade till the demands are achieved."
Konyak Union to abstain from rally Shakhai Konyak August 26
MON (MExN): In a major setback to the proposed integration rally under the aegis of the Naga Hoho slated for August 31 at Kohima Local Ground, the Konyak Union (KU), the Apex Tribal body of the Konyaks has decided to abstain from the rally. The decision of the KU was taken in the backdrop of the visit by the representatives of Naga Hoho, Naga Students’ Federation, NPMHR and Naga Mothers Association here at Mon. A joint meeting with the visiting team was held at the KU’s conference hall today. The purpose of the team’s visit was to take stock of the opinion and views on the proposed rally and also to urge the Konyaks to participate. The KU during the meeting reportedly reaffirmed that it had always stood for unity and integration of the Nagas. KU leaders tried to put the point across that it had even proposed for holding a Naga Public Convention when M. Vero was the then President of the Naga Hoho during the previous Congress regime under SC Jamir. The KU also reminded the visiting delegates that through the effort of the KU and the Sumi Hoho during 2003, the NSCN (K) had offered a six month ceasefire without any response from the rival groups.
The KU leaders reportedly expressed the view that seeking a solution without first bringing the warring factions together would encourage more bloodshed. While affirming that the Civil Society remained united, the KU however lamented that due to fear psychosis people at large had reservation to openly express themselves and rather became ‘tools or puppets under the directives of the gun culture’. The KU stated that unity among the over ground without the unification of the factions would be meaningless. The Konyaks also rejected the new name given of Nagaland as used by the NSCN (IM) and the NSF in the expression of Nagalim and sought to know under what circumstances and by whose approval the name Nagaland was changed to Nagalim. On the integration issue, the KU questioned as to the meaning given to it while at the same time pointing out that ‘partial integration was an injustice’. The KU lamented that integration without unity would only lead to further division and disintegration. The KU also highlighted that since underground factions refused to unite; there would be less meaning on the part of civil society to ‘cry for integration and unification’. The KU leaders felt that it did not foresee any achievement without participation from all the factions in the proposed integration rally.
Unity rally to dispel doubts OUR CORRESPONDENT The Telegraph
Kohima, Aug. 26: Dispelling misgivings that Naga society is divided on the issue of integration, Nagaland’s apex tribal organisation will hold a rally here on August 31 to press for the integration of Naga-inhabited areas. Tribal hohos and several NGOs, including the Naga Students Federation and Naga Mothers Association, will take part in the rally organised by the Naga Hoho. The decision to hold the rally was finalised after initial hiccups when Naga tribal leaders stepped in. Hoho leaders have stressed that integration is the right of the Nagas “by birth”.
However, the Angami Public Organisation opposed the rally, saying it will not allow any procession or strike in Kohima without its permission. “We have already spoken to the Angami organisation and it has agreed to take back its press release. We will go ahead with the rally on August 31,” Hoho president Horangse Sangtam said over phone from Dimapur. In a declaration in local dailies here, the Hoho said the rally would be a demonstration of “our right and will to live together. All our land must be integrated into a single political unit and we shall no longer wait for things to happen to us”. It said Nagas shall create their future and destiny and shall not rest till their rights are fulfilled. Earlier, the Angami Public Organisation’s release had given rise to speculation that Kohima’s dominant Angami tribe was against integration. The organisation’s president, Mhiesizokho Zinyü, could not be contacted even after several attempts.
The Hoho’s latest move is believed to be a display and reaffirmation that Nagas are all for integration. Recently, the Hoho had expressed concern and disappointment when there was opposition to integration from some quarters. The Naga Hoho has said “reunification of Naga homeland is non-negotiable” and that the issues which have not been addressed so far will be taken up during the peace talks between the NSCN (I-M) and the Centre.
UNC says CM insincere The Imphal Free Press

Senapati,Aug 26: The United Naga Council (UNC ) has called Manipur chief minister O.Ibobi Singh a leader without sincerity saying that the former had taken strong exception to the "insincerity" of the latter in finding a solution to the non-cooperation movement called by the All Naga Students` Association,Manipur (ANSAM ). It may be recalled that at the request of the Naga Hoho, consequent to the request made by the prime minister of India and the Union home minister, ANSAM had suspended its agitation but no visible efforts have been made by the state government to resolve the issue till date, stated UNC president Puni Modoli today.
The UNC president further stated that the economic blockade had affected every person in the state in a greater or lesser degree in different areas. He then said, "despite the efforts of the UNC and Naga Hoho, O.Ibobi Singh and his government do not appear to appreciate lifting of the economic blockade but is rather challenging the ANSAM. This attitude has deeply hurt the Naga people and steeled their resolve."
Puni Modoli also said that the UNC had held its meeting at Senapati on August 24 and had resovled that "it will fully support the ANSAM if they (ANSAM ) decide to re-impose and further intensify the non-cooperation movement which include the economic blockade till the demands are achieved."
Rio for more seats in Parliament Fromm Pradeep Pareek Assam tribune
DIMAPUR, Aug 26 – Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio on Thursday admitted that he had faced crisis and division in the party during the downsizing exercise. Some MLAs tried to create chaos and disunity among the party legislators, which Rio said could have led to serious consequences. But in the same breath, he said that it was the “undying support and loyalty” of the party that his Democratic Alliance of Nagaland ministry survived. Now the government has once again become stable and is growing from strength to strength he said, adding, with new amendment, no MLA can jump from party to party like a harlot, the chief minister stated. Rio said Nagaland Peoples’ Council would befittingly reply the Congress’s second booklet, published recently by the Pradesh unit of Congress, on the failures of the DAN government. He was talking to party members at his Metha colony based private residence here. Dwelling on the Delimination exercise the chief minister said that Nagaland should be excluded from the process till the Centre arrive at a long lasting political settlement to the Naga political issue. “Delimitation should come only after political settlement comes”, Rio said.

The Chief Minister also disclosed that he has urged both the Members of Parliament from Nagaland to favour the Women Reservation Bill, but on condition that more Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha seats are allotted to the State. He pointed out that the neighbouring state, Assam prior to its bifurcation into various small states had 11 seats, and even now they have 11 seats in the Lok Sabha, while with half the size of Nagaland population, Arunachal Pradesh has 2 seats in the Lok Sabha. Talking on the controversial issue of the utilization of the Centre’s one time grant of Rs. 365 crore, Rio said Opposition Congress made it an issue at its each and every meetings earlier, but it was only after he had explained in the Assembly that the money was utilized to pay the “Baki” (deficit) created by the then Congress government during their 10 years rule, the opposition leader has submissively told the media that the topic would not be raised again. Urging the youth to promote Naga culture and heritage, the chief minister said it was time the youth became self-reliant and start becoming entrepreneurs by availing various schemes being provided by the Centre and State.
Rio said, “To march ahead, we need to change from gun culture to work culture.”
People resent wide scale deforestation Morung Express News August 26
Jalukie: Major Tree Felling Operations initiated by Jalukie Town Council (JTC) is drawing criticism from ecologically conscious people of the area, as hundreds of trees are being cut down every day. This major deforestation operation is being launched by JTC on the pretext of cutting down older trees to replenish the area with new plantation. However, some people are of the view that felling of trees on such a large scale will disrupt the ecology. The deforestation will also affect the landscape and the picturesque of the town and surrounding vicinities.
It is learnt that the trees, which was now well over 20 years and above, was planted by the forest department in late the 70s and 80s with the participation of the public. Even as the felling continues, the effects are becoming obvious especially with school students who have to walk for kilometers under the scorching heat of the sun with no protection. These trees had once provided protection and cover from the scorching sun for pedestrians. Many of the people, who met this correspondent, have commented that felling of trees as such a large scale has contributed to the irregular power supply and disruption of telephone connections due to snapping of main line. There is a growing feeling that the unscrupulous felling of old trees may bring about permanent damages to the already disturbed environment of the area and will contribute towards increase in landslides during the monsoons.
Venkiah to visit Nagaland: New Kerala
Kohima: BJP National Vice-President M Venkaiah Naidu will visit Nagaland on Septemeber 9 to join the silver jubilee celebration of the party. According to Nagaland BJP general secretary Ato Yepthomi the silver jubilee celeberation is a year long programme and Nagaland will celebrate on September nine at Dimapur town hall where Mr Venkaiah along with the party's north eastern in-charge T C Gehlot, National General Secretary Sanjay Joshi, BJP Nagaland Incharge Narayan Borkotoki, Zonal Secretary in-charge of NE V Satish and others will attend the function.

The BJP Nagaland State Unit will also hold a meeting of the MLAs in Kohima on September eight next followed by the state executive meeting on the same day, Mr Yepthomi said.
AMSU flays Lotha’s statement on state integrity day Newmai News Network August 26
Imphal: All Manipur Students Union (AMSU) has strongly reacted to a statement made by NESO General Secretary, N.S.N. Lotha asking Manipur government not to concretize its declaration of state integrity day on the anniversary of 2001 uprising. The NESO general secretary accused the Manipur government of dividing the people of Manipur by declaring the general holiday on June 18 and said if the June 18 issue is not resolved NESO will be compelled to withdraw the appeal to Naga Students Federation not to reimpose the economic blockade. The statement was published by The Telegraph in the August 24 edition. Reacting to the statement the AMSU, which is also a constituent member of the NESO said that NESO did not take any decision to make such a statement.
The AMSU in a statement charged that Lotha was making his own individual statement and it is an attempt by him to translate into Naga philosophy of Naga unification. The AMSU said it took the remarks made by Lotha very seriously and it would move the chairman of the North East students’ organization to seek a clarification from Lotha. It charged that the statement shows that Lotha has fallen into the trap set by people who want to break up the NESO, which is formed to safeguard the identity of the people in the region and also face the common enemy together.
None of the things said by Lotha was agreed during the NESO meeting held in Guwahati on July 31, the statement said. Meanwhile, AMSU said it would defy the ban imposed on its rally tomorrow to mark Hunger Marchers Day. The district magistrate did not give permission for tomorrow’s rally.For several decades now that AMSU has been observing Hunger Marcher’s Day on every August-27 commemorating the incident where some Manipuri youths had been killed by the security forces in the erstwhile government decades ago.
Fake certificate racket busted in Nagaland Hindustan Times
Seven persons have so far been arrested in connection with the fake Nagaland Board of School Education (NBSE) certificate racket case. Earlier, the NBSE had filed an FIR against 23 persons in connection with the case. According to police sources, the arrests were made in and around Kohima over the past three days. Those arrested included officials of the Nagaland University whose services have been terminated following the detection of their fake certificates that they submitted to the university. Of those arrested in the past 72 hours, five have been released on interim bail while the rest have been remanded to police custody. The remaining 16 officials of the University against whom FIRs have been filed are still at large.
The university had while cross checking certificates of its staff found that certificates of 27 of its workers were fake. The fake certificates were issued under various Universities, Boards and Institutes, including the NBSE. The ongoing probe is being conducted under the supervision of Additional Superintendent of Police, Kohima. (By arrangement with Newsfile)
Naga Rebels Hold Talks To Preserve Ceasefire Reuters
Indian officials and Christian separatists from the remote state of Nagaland have held talks to preserve a four-year ceasefire, seen as the key to peace in the country's turbulent northeast. The talks were the first formal dialogue between the government and the National Socialist Council of Nagaland, which has observed a truce with Indian forces since 2001. "They discussed the ceasefire and how to continue talks," an Indian home ministry official told Reuters. "The Nagas had some demands about the ceasefire monitoring group and they will be examined."

The two sides would meet again but no dates were set, he added. The Naga tribal rebellion is India's oldest insurgency, and security analysts say peace with the Nagas is crucial to a broader peace in the northeast - seven states connected to the rest of India by a thin strip of land and home to dozens of insurgent groups. The Khaplang faction of the NSCN is the second most powerful separatist group in Nagaland, a mainly Christian state of two million people on India's far eastern border with Myanmar.

A more powerful group, the NSCN has held repeated talks with the Indian government since it started a ceasefire in 1997. But there has been little progress over the rebels' central demands - the unification of Naga-dominated areas in northeast India and ultimately independence. Both NSCN factions, which split in the late 1980s, have thousands of fighters, and raise money mainly through 'taxes'.
More than 20,000 people have died in over five decades of Naga insurgency.
Cong asks DAN to own up scams: New Kerala
Kohima: The Nagaland Pradesh Congress Committee has accused the Democratic Alliance of Nagaland government of refusing to accept responsibilities for all scandals committed during its nearly three year tenure instead of blaming the previous regime.I n a release NPCC vice-president Nuzota Swuro said the DAN government had been 'fooling' the people through promises of transparency and accountability but was ''functioning in a veil of questionable secrecy''. He said the government claimed that the Rs 365 crore grant from the Centre was used to wipe out the deficit left behind by the previous government in order to begin on a clean slate.
''But within less than three years the DAN government has added a deficit of more that Rs 400 crore,'' Mr Swuro said. The Congress also accused the government of creating more deficit in two and half years than the accumulated deficit of successive governments in 15 years.He also ridiculed the Nagaland Peoples' Front for describing the Congress rule as a 'dark era'. He said the Naga problem was acknowledged as a political problem during the rule of the then Prime Minister Narasimha Rao. After this 'so called dark era' ceasefire agreements were signed by the government of India and the NSCN factions.
''The current fruits enjoyed by the DAN government are the result of dark era,'' he observed.

Aza draws CM?s attention to Jessami The Imphal Free Press
IMPHAL, Aug 26: The Chingai Assembly constituency MLA A Aza has appealed to the chief minister to intervene immediately into the reports of land dispute and destruction of standing crops of Jessami village by Laphori village and to provide the aggrieved villagers with adequate compensation.
It may be noted that a spate of unpleasant incidents between the Jessami village in Ukhrul district of Manipur and Laphori village in Meluri sub-division of Nagaland?s Phek district over Choka land has been going on for a long time. Though open and direct intrusion by way of land encroachment by Laphori village began around 2000, the dispute between the two villages dates back as far as 1960.

The latest incident was on the July 19, 2005 wherein some 100 armed villagers of Laphori and adjoining villages of Nagaland destroyed the standing crops of the Jessami villagers. The worth of the crop was estimated to be around 1.3 lakhs. On August 1, 2005, the chief minister was apprised about the matter and asked to intervene by the local MLA A Aza in view of the disturbing development and the gravity of the situation. Thereafter a high level meeting comprising the CM, chief secretary, DGP, home commissioner, Chingai MLA, chairman of Jessami village council and village representatives was held at the CM?s chamber. However no action has been taken up.

The MLA, has once again, made an appeal to the CM to intervene and take prompt action before the situation gets out of control. Jessami village, located on the Manipur-Nagaland border, has borne the brunt of attacks and prohibitions from the villagers of Laphori repeatedly. It may be noted that there is a dispute between the two villages, with both claiming ownership over the Choka forest area. Due to possibility of communal clashes, 144 Cr PC was imposed in the area in 2000 and re-imposed this year. Recently the village chairman has alleged that despite the prohibitory restrictions the Laphori villagers destroyed standing crops, worth around Rs 1,30,000, of the Jessami villagers. With the villagers entirely dependent on the annual crop productions, there is fear of food grain shortage too.
Army cracks down on ULFA in Arunachal Itanagar | August 27, 2005 (IANS) At least one rebel was killed and two soldiers were seriously wounded in a military operation against the outlawed United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) from Arunachal Pradesh. Troops of the Madras Regiment aided by the Arunachal Pradesh Police launched the operation Friday in the Lower Dibang Valley and East Siang districts to flush out the rebels, an Indian army commander said Saturday. "A gun battle is on and reports indicate one militant was killed and two of our soldiers sustained bullet injuries," the commander told IANS. Police and intelligence officials said there were well-entrenched bases of ULFA in the two districts and it had some 100 rebels, including women cadres. At least three ULFA rebels were arrested while trying to flee. The operation was launched after New Delhi gave the nod to the army following requests from both the Assam and the Arunachal Pradesh governments to flush out the rebels. The ULFA, one of the frontline rebel groups in the northeast, is fighting for an independent homeland in Assam since 1979. The rebels had shifted their bases to the eastern part of Arunachal Pradesh from neighbouring Bhutan after a crackdown by Bhutanese troops in December 2003. "The area where the operations are on is very remote and surrounded by dense jungles. The terrain is hostile but we have managed to surround the camps," the commander said.
"The ULFA militants were posing a security threat to our state and so we felt the need to evict them from our territory," said a senior police official in this state capital. According to the official, ULFA rebels carried out hit-and-run guerrilla strikes in Assam from bases in Arunachal Pradesh. "After committing the attacks, the rebels would sneak back to their bases in Arunachal as the border between the two states is porous and the area surrounded by thick jungles," the official said. Earlier, the ULFA used Arunachal Pradesh as a transit to enter camps in neighbouring Myanmar where the outfit maintains a full-fledged battalion under the patronage of the S.S. Khaplang faction of the National Socialist Council of Nagaland (NSCN-K).
Heroin production and trafficking in Indo-Burma border
Today, the Indo-Burma border is the world’s biggest heroin trafficking area and heroin is frequently described as Burma’s most valuable export. Since Burmas military regime, then called the State Law and Order Restoration (SLORC), seized power in Burma in 1988, opium production, from which heroin is refined, has risen to over 2,030 metric tons annually, amounting to 60 per cent of world supply. Heroin from Burma has usually supplied the North America and Australia markets while previously most of the heroin sourced in European originated from the Golden Crescent, Pakistan, Afghanistan and Turkey. Over the past two years, a growing portion of the European heroin market has been Burmese heroin trafficked out of north-west Burma.
Heroin production in northwest Burma is burgeoning and new refineries are appearing. The improvement in drug enforcement in neighbouring Thailand and China since the early 1990s has served to open up new trade routes for both raw opium and heroin from Shan State to the plains around Mandalay, through Chin State and Sagaing Division to north-east India.
According to Images Asias November 2004 report, Most of Burma’s opium for conversion into heroin is grown in Shan State, in the infamous Golden Triangle region. Despite the military juntas claims that they are actively combating drug production and distribution, many areas of Shan State saw massive increases in poppy cultivation after they came under the control of military regime.
The Burmese military has been laying landmines in the border areas where India, Bangladesh and Burma meet since mid-1997 in an attempt to prevent militant insurgency. High-level anti-insurgency authorities from Burma and north-east India have increasingly profited from the narcotics trade, taking bribes not to send Burmese military troops into areas where refineries are located. Large amounts of narcotics are carried through official border crossings in north-east India, including at the Moreh-Tamu border point, as well as across paths over the mountains that form much of the border terrain. In north-western Burma, there are three new drug-related trends, all of which involve the participation of Burmese higher authorities.
(i) Opium production is increasing in the Chin and Naga hills.
(ii) Heroin refineries have been established in the north-western Burma
(iii) Heroin trafficking from the Shan State through north-west Burma into north-east India is increasing dramatically.
The plain areas in north-west Burma are primarily inhabited by ethnic Burmans, while the hills are settled by Nagas, Chins (who refer to themselves as Zomi) and the Kukis. Like the Zomis in Chin State, the Kukis and Nagas have formed armed resistance organizations which are fighting against the Burmese military regime for various degrees of political autonomy. There are also Nagas, Zomis and Kukis in the Indo-Burma border areas fighting for autonomous regions in India. Some insurgents are fighting for independence in territory that includes parts of Burma, India and Bangladesh. The largest Naga resistance organisation, the National Socialist Council of Nagaland (NSCN) split into two factions in 1988. The faction led by Isaac-Muivah (NSCN-IM) has been especially active in Indo-Burma borderlands while the faction led by Khaplang, a Burmese Naga (NSCN-K), has in the past been more focused on fighting the Burma Army. The Zomi Re-Unification Organisation (ZRO) and its armed wing, the Zomi Revolutionary Army (ZRA), and the Kuki National Army (KNA) are also active in Chin State and north-east India.
Cultivation of Opium Poppies
Previously, numbers of Zomi villagers based in the Tedim area of Chin State and in Sagaing Division produced relatively significant amounts of opium. As some farmers under pressure from military extortion, forced labour and relocations find it harder and harder to survive growing ordinary crops the temptation to grow opium has increased. In northern Chin State along the Indo-Burma border, most of opium poppy fields are found around the Tedim township but there are a few optimum cultivation areas in Tonzang and Than Tlangtownships. In the south, in areas such as Paletwa township, the climate is not conducive to growing opium. Opium cultivation also takes place in the Naga hills of Sagaing Division.
Production of Heroin
In the past, mostly opium was trafficked into north-east India. However, since heroin factories have begun to appear in Chin State and Sagaing Division in the early 1990s, locally produced opium as well as opium from Shan State are now refined in the area. According to the Geopolitical Drug Dispatch, Heroin Laboratories and drug export routes have now shifted to the south west (from Kachin State and the Chinese border). Major drug production units are now operation along the Chindwin river near the North-East India Border, under direct protection by the Burmese Army, far from zones controlled by the India North-East rebels and from the notorious Golden Triangle rather than heading up to the Chinese border, trucks leaded with raw opium and heroin began heading down the Central plain to the South around Mandalay. Shortly afterward, other sources in India reported that the north-east region of Nagaland, Manipur and Mizoram were flooded with heroin.
As reported in the Geopolitical Drug Dispatch, a string of six new refineries were identified along the Chindwin River, close to the north-east Indian border:
1) North of Singkaling Hkamti, near Tamanthi where the Burma Armys 52nd Regiment is headquartered
2) Homalin (222nd Regiment Headquarters)
3) Moreh and Kaleymyo (89th, 228th and 235th Regiment Headquarters)
4) Tedim (89th Regiment Headquarters)
5) Paletwa on the western edge of Chin and Arakan States.
For the first time refineries are being established in traditionally white or areas where there is no north-east Indian rebel presence and close to major Burma Army installations. Most of the opium and heroin trafficked over these routes from Shan State enters Kalay and Tahan, a Sub-Division of Kaleymyo, where there is a heroin refinery. Observers report that in Kalaymyo, Sagaing Division, Burma Army officials have established heroin refineries inside their main military camp. According to locals, heroin produced from this refinery is sent to north-east Indian insurgents.
Consequences
The consequences for India, Burma, Bangladesh and the international community are extreme. In Burma the addiction rate has increase dramatically over recent years. The World Health Organisation believes there are over 600,000 heroin addicts in Burma, more than 2% of the population, and double this number of users of drugs. Non-government organisations working in the region believe the real number may be two or three times this again. The dire economic situation in Burma is contributing to the rise of an opium-based economy in the areas reliant not only on opium cultivation but on narcotics trade. Addiction to heroin in the north-east Indian states of Manipur, Mizoram and Nagaland has skyrocketed. According to Bertil Lintner, there were 12,000 drug addicts in Burma in 1989. Two years later, there were at least 25,000 addicts. In the north-east Indian states there are more than 90,000 HIV/AIDS carriers, identified as heroin addicts who shared needles to inject their drugs. Manipur, a state of only 1.2 million people by 1992 had the highest incidence of drug-related AIDS infections in India.
Conclusion
There is a direct correlation between the expansion of military control in north-western Burma and the increase in the production and trafficking of drugs along the Indo-Burma border. As locals in these inter-state borderlands find it increasingly difficult to make ends meet because of extortion, forced labour, and other demands enforced on them by the Burmese military regime, they have become more willing to plant poppies. The payment of bribes to local authorities, happy to supplement their meagre income, ensures that poppies can be grown and heroin produced even in the border areas close to Burma Army bases. Drugs are transported by or with the collusion of Burma Army and intelligence personnel.
Moreover, the military juntas involvement in the heroin trade is being enhanced and facilitated by the expansion of roads in the north-east India along which a growing number of army vehicles are circulating that can carry narcotics without being checked. With no concerted attempts as yet to stem the flow of narcotics through north-western Burma, the twin plagues of increased addiction and rapidly spreading HIV/AIDS continue to devastate the region.
Trafficking Routes
North-west Burma and north-eastern Indian states extend from Sagaing Division to Tamer to Manipur and Kalay/Tedim to Mizoram.
• From the main refinery at Kalaymyo, under the control of a businessman who works with well-known drug-traffickers from north-west Burma as well as the army, there are three major drug trafficking routes:
1) To the north towards Khampat and Tamumoreh and from there to Imphal, Manipur
2) To the west towards Rikhawdar/ Champhai and from there to Aizawl, Mizoram
3) To the south-west towards Lunglei and continuing north to Aizawl.
Other trafficking routes to Indias north-east include:
1) From Khamti area through Noklak to Mokokchung in Nagaland
2) From Tamanthi and Homalin to Somra and from there northwards through Jessami to Kohima in Nagaland
3) From Paletwa to Alikudam in the Chittagong Hills Track of Bangladesh, to Coxs Bazaar and Chittagong.
4) Some heroin is also trafficked over the Arakan State border into Bangladesh, then on to India.
Most of the heroin trafficked to India passes through Tamu to Moreh, Chandel District of Manipur State. Within north-western Burma, heroin is often transported by the police officers, soldiers and prison guards when they are ordered to escort prisoners from their work sites back to towns.
• From there, large amounts of heroin are stashed in army conveys, which travel to the border avoiding inspection at the check points along the way. Moreover, the traffickers pay Burma Army officials a fee for carrying shipments and to pick-up the heroin at border towns such as Tamu. From there it is brought into India both in trucks and by individuals. Drugs coming from Burma into Manipur are mostly sent to Patna, one of the major drug distribution centres in India, and to three other distribution points; Kathmandu, Delhi and Bombay. From their, they are further trafficked on to the international market, which is now overwhelmingly reliant on Burmese heroin.
Can Nagas be Original? Abraham Lotha Last week there were news reports in some of the local papers about the use of the new State logo by the Nagaland government. The mithun has replaced the Ashokan pillar in the new logo, and the word ‘Unity’ depicts the aspiration of the Nagas and the Government of Nagaland. Some, like the write-up in The Telegraph (June 30,2005), have criticized it as politically motivated linking it to the issue of Naga integration. The Nagaland Congress party rejects it a DAN logo with a lame excuse that the mithun looks "sick, not authoritative and majestic" and that the words ‘Government of Nagaland’ should have been above the word ‘unity. However, adopting an indigenous logo is a step in the right direction. The mithun as a Naga symbol of well-being and prosperity is a right choice for an indigenous logo. But the real challenge for the Nagas to be authentic and assertive of our identity is more than the use of the new State logo; we also have to be aware of the unexamined new practices in the society and work towards a political, economic and socio-cultural well-being that represents the authentic Naga society. Let me suggest three examples where the discussions can begin.
Some years ago, I gave a small gift to a cousin for her father. She immediately said, "Oh, this is the perfect time because next Sunday is Father’s Day." I thought to myself, "What is this Father’s Day? Who is celebrating it? How, when and who began it? Why are we celebrating it in Nagaland?" The last two years, I have been a beneficiary of Father’s day celebrations in Nagaland. Two years ago, at a Father’s Day celebration in the Cathedral parish, Kohima, I heard the M.C. read out the history of Father’s Day. Inspired by the efforts of Sonora Dodd who began celebrating Father’s Day in 1910 to honor her father, President Lyndon Johnson, in 1966, signed a presidential proclamation declaring the 3rd Sunday of June as national Father’s Day. In 1972, President Richard Nixon signed the law making it permanent. As I sat and listened to this history, I asked myself, if Father’s Day was meant to be a national celebration for the people of United States, why are the people of Nagaland also celebrating it? Why are Nagas celebrating someone else’s national holiday? Such thoughts led me to ponder on another recent practice in the Naga society: Mother’s Day. In Nagaland, Mother’s Day has been celebrated in Baptist churches for quite a number of years. Now it is celebrated in almost all the churches in Nagaland even in the remote areas of the State. On a number of occasions I asked people, pastors included, why they were celebrating Mother’s Day but never received a satisfactory answer. A day for honoring mothers has been celebrated in various parts of the world in different ways – form the Greek celebration dedicated to Rhea, the mother of many deities, to Mothering Day in England. In the United States, President Woodrow Wilson signed a proclamation designating the second Sunday in May as Mother’s Day on May 14, 1914. The second Sunday of May has become very popular in the U.S. as a day of honoring mothers by their children in appreciation for their love and motherhood.
So far, both Mother’s Day and Father’s Day celebrations in Nagaland have been confined to churches and it may be about time that Nagas become aware of blind celebrations. In the Naga culture parents are respected tremendously perhaps even more so than in American culture. Mothers, like the Naga Mothers Association, are a formidable and positive force in the Naga society for combating social evils. Can the Nagas, then, come up with something original to celebrate and honor mothers and fathers instead of imitating American national celebrations? I am not suggesting that we stop honoring our mothers or fathers. If anything, honoring parents should be a life-long duty. But can the Nagas celebrate motherhood and fatherhood in an indigenous way? The third example concerns the Naga national anthem. Every time I am at a function in Nagaland when people sing, "God Bless my Nagaland", I cannot but feel ashamed that Nagas have to adopt as their anthem the unofficial national anthem of United States. The song "God Bless America" was written by Irving Berlin in 1918, and popularized by singer Kate Smith who introduced the revised version during her radio broadcast on Armistice Day, 1938. "God Bless America" is a quintessentially American song. This anthem, with its history, is meaningful for Americans, but does not resonate with the Nagas. How can the Nagas stand up and sing with pride a borrowed song? Whenever I hear "God Bless my Nagaland" being sung, I suffer from a feeling of disconnectedness. Where are the prairies of Nagaland? What "ocean white with foam" are we singing about? Our political leaders make so much ado about the uniqueness of Naga identity and history, yet our anthem is a copy of another country’s song that does not relate to the Naga reality. To plagiarize an American song and use it as our national anthem defeats our claims for a rich culture and unique history. It only shows a lack of talents and originality. It is a national shame. Imagine how absurd it would be if Naga festivals like Tokhu Emung, Sekreyni and the Hornbill festival were celebrated in the United States as national holidays? Or, what if a popular Naga folk song was adopted as the national anthem of United States? It might inflate the ego of the Nagas, but to the people of United States, it would be not just stupid but unthinkable.
Is Naga culture a culture of imitation? How can we begin to reclaim our pride? The Nagas are musically very talented people. Can we sing our own original anthem? Can the NSF or Naga Hoho or the State Government initiate a process to have our own original anthem? The real question is: Can Nagas be original? The writer is a Father in a Parish in New York and is also currently pursuing his further studies.
U.S.Department of State Travel Warnings for India By U.S.Department of State Travel Warnings DOSTRAVEL@LISTS.STATE.GOV India Consular Information Sheet August 24, 2005 An excerpt COUNTRY DESCRIPTION: India is the world's largest democratic republic. It is a country with a very diverse population, geography and climate. Tourist facilities varying in degree of comfort and amenity are widely available in the major population centers and main tourist areas. Read the Department of State Background Notes on India at http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn for additional information.
SAFETY AND SECURITY: Some terrorist groups are active in India. In recent years, there have been occasional terrorist bombing incidents in various parts of India. These bomb blasts have occurred in public places as well as on public transportation, such as trains and buses, in markets and in other public areas, resulting in deaths or injuries. There were two significant terrorist incidents in northern India in July 2005. On July 5, suspected Islamic militants attacked a disputed religious site at Ayodhya in the state of Uttar Pradesh, resulting in the deaths of five persons, and on July 28, unidentified terrorists exploded a bomb on a train in Uttar Pradesh bound for New Delhi, killing thirteen passengers. In October 2004, over 35 people were killed in separate bombing incidents in a train station and market in Dimapur, capital of the Northeastern state of Nagaland. In 2003, terrorists set off several bombs in Mumbai (Bombay), including on public transportation, at a public market and at the Gateway of India, a popular tourist destination, leaving over 50 people dead and 160 injured. The motive for these blasts has not been clearly established. U.S. citizens were not specifically targeted or injured in any of these attacks. However, U.S. citizens have been killed and injured during past acts of indiscriminate violence. Anti-Western terrorist groups, some of which are on the U.S. government's list of foreign terrorist organizations, are believed to be active in India. Therefore, U.S. citizens should exercise particular vigilance when in the vicinity of government installations, visiting tourist sites, or attending public events throughout India. In particular, the disputed region of Kashmir in the state of Jammu and Kashmir has experienced an inordinate number of terrorist incidents, including several bombings in the capital city of Srinagar. Demonstrations can occur spontaneously and pose risks to travelers' personal safety and disrupt transportation systems and city services. In response to such events, Indian authorities occasionally impose curfews and/or restrict travel. Political rallies and demonstrations in India have the potential for violence, especially immediately preceding and following elections. U.S. citizens are urged to avoid demonstrations and rallies. In addition, religious and inter-caste violence occasionally occurs unpredictably. In early 2002, violent clashes between Hindus and Muslims in Gujarat resulted in at least 950 deaths according to official figures. While such violence rarely targets foreigners, mobs have attacked Indian Christian workers.
Missionary activity has aroused strong reactions in some areas -- usually rural -- and in January 1999, a mob murdered an Australian missionary and his son in the eastern state of Orissa. In January 2003, a visiting U.S. citizen was attacked in Kerala by Hindu activists who accused him of preaching to the local community. The principal risk for foreigners is that they could become inadvertent victims. A similar incident occurred in June 2005, when residents of a Mumbai suburb attacked three American tourists participating in a Christian prayer meeting. During the Dassera and the Diwali festivals, U.S.-citizen travelers to Calcutta and Eastern India should exercise additional caution. Large and sometimes unruly crowds gather on these holidays, especially in the immediate vicinity of the Pandals (elaborately decorated temporary structures). Such concentrations heighten the risk of petty theft, accidental injury, groping, and crowd disturbances. Transportation, even for emergency purposes, is more difficult during the holiday season, and travelers may become disoriented amidst large, flowing crowds. The United States Consulate General in Calcutta is available to assist U.S. citizens in emergencies, should they arise. AREAS OF INSTABILITY: Jammu and Kashmir: The Department of State recommends that U.S. citizens avoid travel to the state of Jammu and Kashmir, with the exception of visits to the Ladakh region and its capital, Leh. A number of terrorist groups operate in the state, and security forces are active throughout the region, particularly along the Line of Control (LOC) separating Indian and Pakistani-controlled Kashmir, and are visible in the primary tourist destinations in the Kashmir Valley - Srinagar, Gulmarg and Pahalgam. Since 1989, as many as 60,000 people (terrorists, security forces, and civilians) have been killed in the Kashmir conflict, including approximately 700 civilians in 2004 alone. Many terrorist incidents take place in the state's summer capital of Srinagar, but the majority occurs in rural areas. Foreigners are particularly visible, vulnerable, and definitely at risk. Occasionally, even the Ladakh region of the state has been affected by terrorist violence, but incidents there are rare. The last such case was in 2000, when terrorists in Ladakh's Zanskar region killed a German tourist. The Indian government prohibits foreign tourists from visiting the Kargil area of Ladakh along the LOC. U.S. Government employees are prohibited from traveling to the state of Jammu and Kashmir without permission from the U.S. Embassy in New Delhi. In 1999, the terrorist organization Harakat-ul Mujahideen issued a ban on U.S. citizens, including tourists, visiting Kashmir, but has not followed up on this threat. In 1995, the terrorist organization Al Faran kidnapped six Western tourists, including two U.S. citizens, who were trekking in Kashmir valley. One of the hostages was brutally murdered, another escaped, and the other four -- including one U.S. citizen -- have never been found. Srinagar has also been the site of a great deal of violence, including car bombings, market bombings, hand-grenade attacks that miss their targets and kill or injure innocent bystanders, and deaths resulting from improvised (remote-controlled) explosive devices (IEDs). In the early to mid-1990s, several tourists, including at least one U.S. citizen, were fatally shot or wounded in Srinagar. The 2002 state elections were marred by multiple terrorist attacks that killed some 800 people, a large percentage of whom were innocent civilians. Some terrorist violence also marred the national parliamentary polls in April/May 2004.
India-Pakistan Border: The State Department recommends that U.S. citizens avoid travel to border areas between India and Pakistan, including within the states of Gujarat, Punjab, and Rajasthan, and the entire state of Jammu and Kashmir. A ceasefire along the Line of Control (LOC) in Kashmir began on November 26, 2003 and a dialogue between the two countries aimed at easing tensions continues. Both India and Pakistan maintain a strong military presence on both sides of the LOC. The only official India-Pakistan border crossing point is in the state of Punjab between Atari, India, and Wagah, Pakistan. A Pakistani visa is required to enter Pakistan. The border crossing is currently open. However, travelers are advised to confirm the current status of the border crossing prior to commencing travel. Both India and Pakistan claim an area of the Karakoram mountain range that includes the Siachen glacier. The ceasefire in Kashmir that took effect in November 2003 has also been in effect on the glacier. U.S. citizens traveling to or climbing peaks in the disputed areas face significant risks. The disputed area includes the following peaks: Rimo Peak; Apsarasas I, II, and III; Tegam Kangri I, II and III; Suingri Kangri; Ghiant I and II; Indira Col; and, Sia Kangri. Northeast States: Sporadic incidents of violence by ethnic insurgent groups, including the bombing of buses and trains, are reported from parts of Assam, Manipur, Nagaland, Tripura, and Meghalaya, most recently in October of 2004 when over 35 people were killed in separate bombing incidents in a train station and market in Dimapur, capital of the state of Nagaland. While U.S. citizens have not been specifically targeted, visitors are cautioned not to travel outside major cities at night. Security laws are in force, and the central government has deployed security personnel to several Northeast states. Travelers may check with the U.S. Consulate in Calcutta for information on current conditions. (Please see the section on Registration/Embassy and Consulate Locations below.)
East Central and Southern India: Left-wing Maoist extremist groups called "Naxalites" are active in the region and U.S. citizens should exercise appropriate caution. The Naxalites have a long history of conflict with state and national authorities, including attacks on police and government officials. The Naxalites have not specifically targeted U.S. citizens, but have attacked symbolic targets that have included American companies. Groups claiming to be Naxalites have blackmailed American organizations, and in one instance a small bomb that exploded at an American corporation's production site was thought to have been part of an extortion plot. Two Naxalite groups, The Maoist Communist Center of India (MCCI), and the People's War Group (PWG) were added to the list of "Other Terrorist Organizations" in the U.S. State Department Publication, "Patterns of Global Terrorism 2003." They merged in October 2004 into one organization under one leadership, and regional affiliates are active in the states of Andhra Pradesh, Orissa, Chhattisgarh, Bihar and West Bengal. Restricted Area: Advance permission is required from the Indian Government (from Indian diplomatic missions abroad) or for U.S. citizens currently in India, from the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) in New Delhi, to visit the states of Mizoram, Manipur, Nagaland, Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim, parts of Kulu district and the Spiti district of Himachal Pradesh, border areas of Jammu and Kashmir, some areas of Uttaranchal, the area west of National Highway No. 15 running from Ganganagar to Sanchar in Rajasthan, the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, and the Union Territory of the Laccadives Islands (Lakshadweep). In addition, U.S. citizens who visit the Tibetan Colony in Mundgod, Karnataka, must obtain a permit from MHA before visiting. U.S. citizens may contact the MHA at: +91-11-2469-3334 or 2301-3054 (begin by dialing 011 if calling from the United States). Tourists should exercise caution while visiting Mahabillipuram. The Indira Gandhi Atomic Research Center, Kalpakkam, is located directly adjacent to the site and is not clearly marked as a restricted and dangerous area. The Department of State urges American citizens to take responsibility for their own personal security while traveling overseas. For general information about appropriate measures travelers can take to protect themselves in an overseas environment, see the Department of State's pamphlet A Safe Trip Abroad at http://travel.state.gov/travel/tips/safety/safety_1747.html. .
Open Chittagong seaport for Indians: NE traders From our Correspondent Sentinel
AGARTALA, Aug 26: Just a week before the talks on river water sharing between India and Bangladesh, North-east traders reiterated their demand for opening up of the Chittagong seaport for Indian traders for enhanced trade and commerce with South-east Asian entrepreneurs. North-east unit of the Federation of Small Industries of India (FSII) took up the issue with New Delhi and asked its central body to put pressure on the Centre for discussion of the issue during the Joint River Commission meeting slated for August 30. Reportedly, the Bangladesh Shipping Ministry decided to consider the long-pending demand of Indian businessmen from September next year, and referred it the Cabinet for approval. Bangladesh Commerce, Foreign and Home ministries had already cleared the matter, the report said. Quoting Chittagong Port Authority (CPA) officials, Indian Intelligence sources here said that Bangladesh would allow India to use the port under certain conditions. Bangladesh, according to the sources, is interested to open a road to North-east India through Nepal. So far, the port is infamous for being used by Indian terrorists for transhipment of arms and contraband items.
FSII’s North-east representative Deepak Sarkar told The Sentinel that due to inadequate surveillance by India, extremist groups had been using the port it since long. "If the seaport is used for business purposes, both the countries will be benefited in terms of export and import, and illegal activities along the border will be contained," Sarkar added. The CPA pointed out that the port would require massive renovation, including the expansion of its area up to 220 square kilometres. At present five to six lakh containers are being transported through the port, but the traffic flow will be doubled as soon as it is used for commercial purposes.