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03/02/2006: "NSCN(K) and Myanmar junta involved in fresh fighting"

NSCN(K) and Myanmar junta involved in fresh fighting

KOHIMA, March 1: At least ten Myanmarese security personnel were killed during an attack on the National Socialist Council of Nagaland (Khaplang) NSCN(K) camps in Myanmar...

NSCN(K), which has several hideouts in Myanmar, lost two cadres in the fight yesterday that continued for more than five hours at Chumsa area of the Sagaring division.

NSCN(K) 'finance' Kilonser Kughalu Mulatonu told UNI over phone that its cadres were fighting in three zones in Longpha and Chunyu of Myanmar and recovered ammunition from them.

He also claimed that the rebel outfits of Manipur and Assam like MPLF, Prepak, RPF and Ulfa were expected to join NSCN(K) to repulse the Myanmarese forces, adding to the existing 5000 Naga army soldiers in Myanmar who are ready to fight.

Kilonser alleged that few forces were provoking the Myanmerese junta to attack NSCN(K) camps. The situation was very tense and ''there are possibilities of gunfight today,'' he added. UNI
Rio urged to withdraw 9 IRB Nagaland Post
DIMAPUR, March 2 (NPN): Wives of the 9 IRB personnel, the latter of who are fighting Naxalites in Chhattisgarh, on Thursday demanded immediate withdrawal of the battalion from that State. In a memorandum addressed to State Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio, they said "even as it is the prerogative of the State government to utilize the services of the IRB personnel in a manner deemed fit by it, the deployment of IRB in Chhattisgarh for containing the activities of the Naxalites does not merit any justification."
Achila Ozukum, sessional chairperson and Nzanc Kikon sessional secretary representing the wives of the personnel urged the Chief Minister to withdraw the 9 NAP at the earliest since "they lack the training to counter the landmine attacks by Naxalites and will become easy prey to their covert."
It has been pointed out in the memorandum that Naxalites do not engage in conventional warfare, but are experts in triggering landmine blasts and that Chhattisgarh has its own elite forces and other paramilitary agencies to check Naxalite activities. As such, they said, the deployment of Naga jawans in that state is unwarranted.
The wives of the IRB jawans have also expressed apprehension that unless the 9 IRB is withdrawn, the Naga jawans, currently stationed at Barsur, would meet the fate of the nine IRB personnel who were killed recently in a landmine blast triggered by the Naxalites.
Nagas support for separateTelangana state echoes in Delhi The Morung Express
DIMAPUR, MARCH 1 (MExN): North East Join Action Committee, NPMHR, Naga Student Union Delhi (NSUD) participated in the 2nd national seminar, ‘Political process in the formation of new state’ on February 24 and 25 organized by Indian National Front for New States and Telangana Study Forum. A documentary film on Nagas was shown and a speech was given by Yaronsho Ngalung on the topic of formation of Naga areas on the first day of the seminar. Yaronsho Ngalung emphasized that the people of Telangana have every right to demand for different state and that the state government should and must take immediate action. On 27th there was a protest rally and a sit-in dharna which was attended by more then five hundred Indians and Nagas. Nagas should show their solidarity by participating actively from the first day of the seminar till the end of the rally.
George Fernandes was the chief guest for the seminar and among the guest list were prominent figures from North East like Mani Charenamei and Hagrama Mohilaey. George Fernandes said “The government has betrayed Telangana on an excuse that forming a smaller state will affect the budget and economy, Telangana’s people and the country’s future depends on the movement for the forming of Telangana state.” While Mani Cheranamei said “even after almost two years have passed for the implementation of common minimum programme the parliament promised, they still haven’t fulfilled.” He explained about how the hill area people’s opportunities were lost in Nagaland and Nagas area in North East.
“People of Telangana have been crying for separate state even before and after the formation of Andhra. Political parties, unfortunately in one way or the other, in different methods and false hopes, made the agitation subsided for the time being by creating difference among the forefront leaders”, a joint statement issued by Mughato Lucky, Convenor Northeast Joint Action Committee, Delhi, RS Mayori Convenor NPMHR, Delhi and Sabastian Gamei, President NSUD stated.
Pastors tortured in Eastern Naga hills The Morung Express Letters to the editor
In the Naga Hills, under the present political map of Myanmar, Sagai division, the Naga Christians pastors are being brutally beaten by Myanmar Army under the Command of Maj. Thaithunnai, 229 Battalion Myanmar Tatmado.
In the second week of December, 2005, Pastor Rokwe of Chawang Baptist church was beaten and was bounded for three days. During that days the Chawang Village Christians were forced to convert into Buddhism, and then after Pastor Rokwe was released and sent to his native village Papung (five days journey on foot from Chawang).
In November, 2005 Wakka Chopkao Baptist Church Pastor Kamyung was also beaten blue and black, bleeeded from his nose and ears. In the first week of December 2005,Rev. Chaida, pastor of Chawang Nukwuk village Baptist church was also detained and beaten brutally.
Mr. Wongap, pastor of Catholic Chruch of Jumnu village was beaten on 24th December 2005; I myself was also detained for three days in the underground cell from November 10. 2005. On the fourth day I managed to escape from their hands.
The Village leaders are also beaten and valuable properties are taken away as their will by the Myanmar Army. They served the orders to every village to provide them domestic animals for their ration such as pigs, goat, hens, cocks, buffalos, cow etc. without payment. Even rice and vegetables should be supplied to them by the villager, which is by order. The Myanmar Army is also selling drugs, Rum, Whisky, and cigarette to every Naga Christian Villages. The villagers are forced to buy their drugs with Indian currency, not by Myanmar Kyat (currency) .If their drugs are not sold, the village leaders are forced to buy them through the village funds.
The villagers are also forced to serve them daily by fetching water and firewood’s. Also the villagers are being used like horses and cows to carry their loads from village to village because there is no vehicle communication in those areas.
In November last week, 2005 the Myanmar Army came to Chumnu village and as soon as they reached the village, they sent one of the villager for duties levy to porter for them. When he went to porter, the Myanmar Army commander Maj. Thaithunnai had taken a muzzle loading gun (Naga gun) from the one whom he had sent to levy porter. After he returned, he asked the Commander to give back his gun, but then the commander asked him to pay Indian Rupees1500/- to retain his gun. The villager so gave him Rs.1500/-to retain his gun. Again with that money the commander sent the same person to India to buy a suitcase and two blankets for him.
The brutalities and barbarous act of Myanmar Army under the command of Maj. Thaithunnai is strange to the Nagas and intolerable. Such brutalities and barbarous activities cannot be seen in the other parts of civilized world.
YS Hangya
Pangmi Region
Migrants threat begins to loom largeGovt will check influx of migrants : CM By Our Staff Reporter Sangai Express
IMPHAL, Mar 2 : Taking a serious note of the threat posed to the identity of the indigenous people of the State following the large influx of illegal migrants, Chief Minister O Ibobi today assured the House that the Govt will do all it can to check the influx of outsiders.
Raising a motion in the House during the short duration discussion, FPM MLA I Hemochandra said that the large influx of foreigners and migrants from other countries has started to threaten the identity of the indigenous people.
Acknowledging the issue raised by Hemo- chandra, the Chief Minister said that the authority concerned will be directed to check the inflow of outsiders and illegal migrants to Manipur. Special stress will be laid at the areas from where the migrants can sneak into the State, he added.
Appealing to all to be on their guard so that Manipur does not face the foreigner issue as in Assam, the Chief Minister said that while the Census of 1961 showed that the population of outsiders was 35.04 pc of the total population this came down to 24.86 pc in the 2001 Census report. However this is no reason to let our guards down, said the Chief Minister.
If the influx of outsiders is not checked, then there is always the possibility of communalism rearing its ugly head, observed the Chief Minister. Communal riots is something much more dangerous than militancy, for the latter can be solved through meaningful dialogue, said the Chief Minister further.
Earlier, I Hemochandra observed that since there has been a large influx of migrant workers into the State and since this has raised the apprehension that the population of outsiders may outstrip the indigenous population, it would be practical to implement the Inner Line Permit.
The situation is more serious in the hill areas, said the MLA and added that in some cases, the population of outsiders are more than the indigenous people in the hills. This has led to the erosion in the identity of the hill people, said Hemochandra and suggested that if the situation demands then a House Committee may be set up to look into the matter and rectify things. A mechanism to check the influx should be worked out, he added.
MLA M Bhorot said that the population of outsiders has increased manifold in Imphal area and added that if the trend is not checked, then the identity of the indigenous people may be under serious threat 25 years later.
MLA S Ibohal said that the Revenue Department should strictly monitor the buying and selling of lands. The Election Department should also ensure that the foreigners are not included in the voters' list.
ULFA no major force to influence polls: CM By A Staff Reporter Assam Trtibune
GUWAHATI, March 1 – Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi today claimed that the ULFA would not be a major force to influence results of the ensuing Assembly elections in the State. For, its presence is mainly confined nowadays only to Tinsukia district. Its recruitment has also gone down, he said at a press conference here this afternoon.

But, in reply to a question, he said that the Opposition Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) was bent on cajoling the ULFA. “The party has stopped talking about ULFA in a bid to cajole it,” he said.

He also dared Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Pramod Mahajan to prove his charge that the State under the present Congress government had been witnessing large-scale infiltration. “If he can prove his charge I will quit politics, or else, he will have to quit,” Gogoi said.

He alleged that the BJP and Mahajan have been engaged in a dirty game to divide the people of the State on communal lines. They have been trying to describe the Hindu migrants as refugees and Muslim migrants as illegal infiltrators, alleged Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi here today.

Gogoi, who was reacting to BJP’s chargesheet against his Government, said the BJP and its leaders are interested only in deriving political mileage by dividing the people on communal lines. Or else, the party would have gone for a legislation to safeguard the interest of the Hindu migrants while it was in power at New Delhi. During their tenure, majority of the State’s ‘D’ voters were Hindu, he said.

Even in the case of checking infiltration from the neighbouring countries, he said, the responsibility lied with the Central Government. The NDA Government during its term did nothing to check it. It even did not pay heed to the repeated plea of the State Government to reduce the gap between the Border Security Force (BSF) out posts, he alleged.

During the last few years, infiltration from the neighbouring countries was almost nil, he said and feigned ignorance as to how the Union Minister of State for Home could state in the Parliament recently that 26,000 infiltrators were detected and deported in Assam in 2005. It may be that the Union Minister was citing the figure concerning the persons pushed back by the BSF, he said, admitting that there were attempts by Bangladesh nationals to cross over to this side of the international border.

However, Gogoi could not provide the media persons the information concerning the date from which the Foreigners Tribunals would be functioning in the State. “ The tribunals will start functioning as early as possible. I cannot give a definite date from which they will become functional,” he said in reply to a question.

He described the BJP charge that the number of Muslim population in the State was rising as a baseless one. The Census report has it that Muslim population in the State is rather declining in the State, while it is rising in the states like Orissa, he said.

He charged the BJP to be anti-workers saying that the party had never bothered to pay any heed to the State Government’s request to deal with the tea planters firmly for their refusing to abide by the Bonus Act.

He also claimed that law and order situation in the State was improving contrary to the BJP allegation, under the present Government. The BJP-led NDA Government at the Centre had been dubbing the present State Government’s approach towards the militant outfits as ‘soft’. It was insisting for a hard approach.

“But we have been trying our level best to bring all the militant outfits to negotiation. I believe in dialogue, not in confrontation,” he said.

Gogoi defends change of name to Asom By A Staff Reporter Assam Tribune
GUWAHATI, March 1 – Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi today displayed obstinacy on his Government’s stand on re-spelling the name of the State. When asked as to why his Government did not consult all the ethnic groups before arriving at the decision to change the spelling of the State’s name, he said at a press conference here this afternoon that it was not possible to discuss every issue with all the organisations and ethnic groups.

“ If we are to do that the running of the Government will become impossible. If some people has something against our decision, let them come up with their opposing views,” he said.

It needs mention here that the State Cabinet on Monday decided to change the spelling of the State’s name from ‘Assam’ to ‘Asom’ to make Assamese in connotation.

The decision though supported by most of the ethnic groups of the State and their literary organisations, besides the Asam Sahitya Sabha, the apex body of the Assamese litterateurs, faced opposition from the Tai-Ahoms and their organisations. President of the Tai-Ahom Jatiya Parishad Prof Jogen Phukan demanded immediate revocation of the decision. Or else, he threatened that the Tai-Ahoms’ organisations would go for declaring Upper Assam as Assam. The Tai-Ahom Jatiya Parishad is the apex body of all the Tai-Ahom organisations of the State.

But the Chief Minster was not moved by the stance of the Tai-Ahom organisations to the Government decision on the issue.

It needs mention here that the State Government in a hurried manner went for the decision after the proposal for changing the name of the State came from former Asam Sahitya Sabha president Chandra Prasad Saikia in his editorial column for the monthly literary magazine Gariyoshi.

Home minister dropped in Arunachal cabinet reshuffle Asdsam Tribune
ITANAGAR, March 1 – The Home Minister of Arunachal Pradesh, Jarbom Gamlin was dropped and three former ministers got ministerial berths in a reshuffle of the 16-month-old Congress ministry in the State.

Lombo Tayeng, Tako Dabi and Kalikho Pul took oath today raising the strength of the ministry to 12. Governor SK Singh administered the oath of office to the three.

Stating that portfolios of the ministers would be announced later, Chief Minister Gegong Apang later told reporters that Home Minister was dropped.

However, he did not give any reason for the ouster.

Gamlin, a former Lok Sabha MP, was present at the swearing-in ceremony.

Some months ago there were reports that he was trying to replace Gegong Apang as chief minister. However, Gamlin had dismissed the reports as a rumour.

While Pul and Tayeng were known to be closed to Apang, Tako Dabi is said to be loyal to PCC chief Mukut Mithi.

Dabi was among the 16 Congress MLAs who refused to join the BJP along with Apang and others to form the first saffron ministry in North-east in 2003.

Today’s reshuffle followd media reports that a group of Congress MLAs met AICC chief Sonia Gandhi in New Delhi on February 19 and submitted a memorandum with signatures of 20 MLAs demanding rotation of ministerial berths among all the 34 Congress MLAs in batches. The group also met the chief minister last week.

Apang constituted a 10-member ministry in October 2004 after the election to the State Assembly, though the permissible limit of the size of the ministry is 12. – PTI

Home minister dropped from Apang Cabinet Arunachal ministry reshuffled Sentinel
Itanagar, Mar 2 (PTI) : The Home Minister of Arunachal Pradesh Jarbom Gamlin was dropped and three former ministers get ministerial berths in a reshuffle of the 16-month old Congress Ministry in the State.
Lombo Tayeng, Tako Dabi and Kalikho Pul took oath today raising the strength of the ministry to 12. Governor S K Singh administered the oath of office to the three.
Stating that portfolios of the ministers would be announced later, Chief Minister Gegong Apang later told newsmen that Home Minister was dropped. However, he did not give any reason for the ouster.
Gamlin, a former Lok Sabha MP, was present at the swearing in ceremony.
Some months ago there were reports that he was trying to replace Apang Chief Minister. However, Gamlin had dismissed the reports as rumour.
While Pul and Tayeng were known to be closed to Apang, Tako Dabi is said to be loyal to PCC chief Mukut Mithi.
Dabi was among the 16 Congress MLAs who refused to join the BJP alongwith Apang and others to form the first saffron ministry in North-east in 2003.
Today’s reshuffle followd media reports that a group of Congress MLAs met AICC chief Sonia Gandhi in New Delhi on February 19 and submitted a memorandum with signatures of 20 MLAs demanding rotation of ministerial berths among all the 34 Congress MLAs in batches. The group also met the Chief Minister last week.
Apang constituted a 10-member Ministry in October 2004 after the election to the state assembly, though the permissible limit of the size of the ministry is 12.
Rights group for Central intervention on Hmar Sentinel

Aizawl, Mar 2 (UNI): The Sinlung Peoples Indigenous Peoples Human Rights Organisation (SIPHRO) today re-appealed to the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) for immediate intervention of the Centre in solving the problems of Hmar refugess.
SIPHRO sources here said in its appeal it has highlighted the deteriorating condition faced by the people of Hmarbiel, Tipaimukh sub-division inhabited by the Hmar tribe.
It appealed the NHRC to direct the State government to immediately airdrop rice, medicines and medical team for the hundreds of ‘maimed and tortured villagers, especially for the rape victims whose numbers has crossed 25’.
It stated, “the government should provide financial assistance, of at least rupees two lakhs for the traumatic rape victims. The Government should also immediately identify and provide aid to the thousands of refugees who are still seeking refuge in Assam, Manipur and Mizoram.”
It also requested the Centre as well as the Government of Manipur to redesign the operational measures if it still has to carry on the ongoing counter-insurgency military operations so that “innocent civilians” do not suffer.
It asked to immediately restore peace, governance and security, maintain public distribution system and necessary proactive intervention for the marginalised people, who are also cut off from the state and its policies.