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07/26/2007: "British MPs asked to support solution outside constitution The Morung Exporess"

British MPs asked to support solution outside constitution The Morung Exporess
DIMAPUR, JULY 26 (MExN): British parliamentarians were asked to support a mutually honourable and acceptable agreement on the Naga issue outside the framework of the Indian Constitution, on Wednesday at Westminster, London.
As member of the Naga Advisory Panel in the Parliamentarians for National Self-Determination, Professor Timothy Kaping made the appeal by incorporating in his speech the need for “boldness and sagacity” on the part of India. “Much to the unhappiness of the Naga people, contrary to the agreement that no conditions would be imposed, the Indian government is time and again trying to impose the Indian constitution on Nagalim. This of course is unacceptable to the Nagas. Our country Nagalim has got its own culture, history, and constitution,” a copy of his communication stated.
Kaping, a member of the Naga Support Group, was making the third official appearance of the ‘Naga nation’ in the British Parliament since they expressed Naga people’s solidarity with the Parliamentarians for National Self-Determination in May 2006. Making mention of the United Nations charter which clearly supports the self-determination of peoples and nations, Kaping regretted, “But it is a pity that it is unable to effectively control some of its members, which have been shamelessly depriving nations of their right to self-determination for decades.”

“This sad fact is making peoples and nations to believe that the UN is a mere club of states and not an association of nations. It is our hope and prayer that the UN goes for reformation and that it will soon start advocating the aspirations of peoples and nations. This is one of the real ways to achieve world peace.”
Kaping said that since the declaration of independence from the British rule in August 1947, the Nagas have always displayed confidence in resolving conflicts through honest dialogues and treatment on equal footing. “Discarding her promises, India forcibly occupied Nagalim and killed thousands of adults and children, but Nagas responded positively for peace negotiations during the 1960s. A peace commission (consisting of one British clergy and two prominent Indian leaders), which was instituted to oversee the political dialogue and ceasefire, appreciated ‘the desire of the Nagas for self-determination’ and declared that the ‘Naga struggle could not be regarded as a problem of law and order. It is a struggle for national freedom’. Unfortunately, the talks failed owing to India’s insincerity and it was followed by decades of intense fighting.”
“Though many thousands of Nagas had been butchered and innumerable men and women had been tortured by the occupation armed forces, India could not win the war with the Nagas. Hence, Indian political leaders and army generals announced: ‘Military solution is not possible. It is time for India and the Nagas to talk across the table’. The Indian leaders wisely realized that a lasting solution to the long-drawn Indo-Naga issue through political dialogue was inevitable. Therefore, once again, the Nagas came forward for peace negotiations in 1997 under the terms that the talks would be held without any preconditions, at the prime ministerial level, and in third countries. So far, the talks had been held in Amsterdam, Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Geneva, The Hague, Kuala Lumpur, Milan, New York, Osaka, Paris, Vienna, Zurich, etc.
“Acknowledging the right of the Nagas, twenty-four US Congressmen wrote a letter to President Clinton in 1999: ‘We urge you to use your influence to help support self-determination for the people of Nagalim’. And in support of the Indo-Naga peace talks former US President Jimmy Carter wrote to Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in 2005: ‘I am writing today to you and the NSCN leaders to express my appreciation to both parties for the initiative being taken towards a peaceful and lasting resolution’. Many people are working and praying for the success of the Indo-Naga peace process.”
‘Extend ceasefire’

‘Parliamentarians for National Self-Determination’, a group of members of Parliament from the United Kingdom has solemnly requested the Government of India and the National Socialist Council of Nagalim to extend the current ceasefire beyond July 31 2007 and take forward the historic 1997 Indo-Naga peace process with due diligence and adherence to the three point terms, namely talks without pre-conditions, talks at Prime Ministerial level and talks to be held in third countries.
PNSD Chair Lord Nazir Ahmed and Vice Chair Elfyn Llwyd, MP, in their unanimous resolution passed on July 25, made available today, “acknowledged the right of the Naga people to self-determination as enshrined in International Law.” The parliamentarians attested their full dedication to “the noble cause of conflict resolution through democratic and peaceful means.”
Time to face the reality: NSCN-IM The Morung Express
Dimapur, July 26 (MExN): The NSCN-IM says that the NSCN-K is turning itself into a foe of Naga civil society and on this advised that the latter cease being arrogant and move along with the aspirations of the people.
“You have turned yourself as foe to all civil societies. Now you have turn against GBs and DBs Association by refusing to abide by the resolution you have accepted earlier” stated an MIP NSCN-IM issue. The organization queried the rival faction what direction “you (are) taking by going against all positive steps the Nagas initiated in the process of restoring peace in Nagalim.”
This is no time to be arrogant but to face the reality by going along with the Naga people’s aspiration, it advised.
The NSCN-IM stated that all these years the NNC members have been trying to distant themselves from the Shillong Accord, saying it was signed under unavoidable circumstances. “Now all these signatories are gone facing natural dead. Mr A.Z.Phizo who keeps mum on the accord. has also gone. But after having work together for good and for bad all these years why are the Non-accordists yet to rise up and shout to the world that they condemn the Shillong Accord and face the political reality without any inhibition” the NSCN-IM asserted.
It further stated that after fighting for years against the Indian and Burmese forces condemning the Shillong Accord “it is a pity to hear that in the recent period Khaplang’s Commander-in Chief Khole had given a statement saying that he did condemn the Shillong Accord but under duress.”
“What is he trying to convey? Is he for the accord or against the accord?” the NSCN-IM queried As for (NSCN-K chief) SS Khaplang’s diehard followers like Moulatanu Zhimomi, Kitovi and others, the NSCN-IM stated, if they are “concerned only for the state of Nagaland not Nagalim why not stay quietly after the granting of 1963 statehood to Nagaland, But why indulge in collecting illegal tax and fight against the Naga national forces?”
The truth has to be told and the wrong has to be exposed, pretension pointed out and falsehood has to be put to stop, the NSCN-IM stated adding that in the light of this undeniable state of affair among the Naga underground groups, “it has become pertinent to put before these two questions for public judgment.”
Ceasefire should be in the interest of all Nagas: NSCN-K The Morung Express
Dimapur, July 26 (MExN): “When the joint forum of the GBs and DBs brought the five-point draft proposal for ceasefire among the factions to the NSCN-K at Mon, the document was found to be drafted and signed by Samson Jajo, special secretary to the called collective leadership of the NSCN (IM). As such, the draft was outrightly rejected,” the NSCN-K states.
According Akato Chophi, Dy. Kilonser NSCN-K, the July 24 ceasefire declaration by the joint forum has just gone to prove that these organizations are acting at the behest of just a single faction. “Neither was the NSCN invited to participate in the meeting nor any intimation was sent for holding such deliberations. Understanding the desires of the people for peace among the Nagas, the NSCN would have participated and would have even willingly debated on wide-ranging issues beyond peace” Chophi stated.
The NSCN-K is also “baffled” over the choice of Dimapur as venue for holding such a meet. Had the forum been serious, a neutral place, like Kohima, Zunheboto or Mokokchung, could have been chosen to hold such a historic meet, the Dy. Kilonser stated adding that this has exposed the biasness of the forum. “The NSCN representatives would probably have fallen into the hands of the blood thirsty rivals as questions of security was never even in the priority list” it added.
The NSCN-K mentioned that the declaration of various forms of ceasefire and subsequent abrogation by the NSCN-IM “is nothing new.” Citing as instance the Zunheboto ceasefire agreement authorized by chairman Isak Chishi Swu, the NSCN-K stated that the same itself was annulled by the NSCN-IM.
“Is this not proof enough that the IK group does not want peace among the Nagas but rather it is trying to further divide the Nagas? Likewise, the NSCN has always been extending ceasefire and truce offers during festive seasons but the IK group has never responded to any of these overtures” Chophi queried.
Bodies initiating ceasefire or peace pacts among the Naga factions should not take any hasty decisions similar to the July 24 declaration, Chophi advised.
Any move to foster understanding and subsequently draw-up plans for similar pacts among the different factions should, therefore: Be held at a neutral venue, be represented by all organizations irrespective of factions, tribes, church affiliations etc. ceasefire should also be in the interest of all the Nagas and not in the interest of a particular faction, it stated.
The NSCN-K stated that the joint forum or any other organization(s) initiating or mediating for ceasefire or peace pacts among the factions should not have any leanings towards any group.
“The five-point resolution adopted by the Joint Forum of GBs and DBs on June 6 at Kohima should be the basis upon which the talks should be initiated. Any edition or deviation beyond the five-point resolution cannot be accepted” the NSCN-K added.
The NSCN-K says:
1) Be held at a neutral venue, preferably the state capital, Kohima.
2) Be represented by all organizations irrespective of factions, tribes, church affiliations etc.
3) Ceasefire should be in the interest of all the Nagas and not in the interest of a particular faction.
4) The joint forum or any other organization(s) initiating or mediating for ceasefire or peace pacts among the factions should not have any leanings towards any group.
5) The five-point resolution adopted by the Joint Forum of GBs and DBs on June 6 at Kohima should be the basis upon which the talks should be initiated. Any edition or deviation beyond the five-point resolution is unacceptable.
Back to NGOs with truce question The Tangkhul.com
The telegraph,Kohima, July 24: The NSCN (Isak-Muivah) is going back to the “Naga people” with a question that troubles its leadership each time a ceasefire extension is due — is it worth continuing the truce?
Caught in two minds about again extending the ceasefire agreement with Delhi by at least another six months, if not a year, the militant group has convened a meeting of all Naga NGOs and churches on Friday to deliberate on whether to take the truce beyond July 31.
Chairman Isak Chishi Swu and general secretary Thuingaleng Muivah will attend the meeting, to be held at the outfit’s council headquarters — Camp Hebron — near Dimapur.

The decision to hold the meeting with NGOs and churches, the sixth in a series, was taken in view of mixed feelings among the Nagas about continuing or calling off the decade-long truce.

Even the ranks of the NSCN (I-M) are said to be divided. The top rung believes there is no alternative to extending the truce, but those in the lower echelons of the militant group’s hierarchy seem inclined to “go back to the jungle”.

The Naga Hoho and the Naga Students’ Federation are just as reluctant to stretch the peace process for the sake of it. They believe Delhi will continue delaying a settlement with the NSCN (I-M) till such time the ceasefire remains in place.

Sources close to the NSCN (I-M)’s top leadership said at least two peace brokers from outside the country would attend the consultative meeting. Michael C. van Walt van Praag, the Dutch executive president of the Netherlands-based NGO Kreddha, has been involved in the Naga peace process for a long time.

Talks between the NSCN (I-M) leadership and a central team of negotiators in New Delhi last week remained inconclusive. The second leg of discussions is slated for July 30 in Nagaland.

The militant group’s information and publicity wing said the “most meaningful” aspect of the talks this time was the clear-cut understanding that Delhi would not impose the Constitution on the Nagas and the NSCN (I-M) would not insist on the government accepting the one it has drafted. It quoted Muivah as saying that the NSCN (I-M) requested the government to send its negotiators to Kohima for the second round of talks.

“Although caught by surprise, Indian leaders were convinced to accept the proposal,” it said.
Open letter to the Naga people and their leaders In Focus Moring Express
On behalf of the Quakers in London we are sending a letter of goodwill and congratulations to you all.
Today we have learned of the groundbreaking ceasefire agreement between the national workers of the NSCN(I/M), NSCN (K) and the FGN.
This is a very significant achievement on the part of the leaders of the three groups and we congratulate them on their part in making this step towards peace and cooperation in Nagaland.
We encourage all groups to maintain the letter and spirit of their agreement in order that the all Naga people may flourish. We trust that all concerned will work to build on this commitment.
The work of the Nagaland GB Federation and the Nagaland DB Association to voice the heartfelt wishes of the people and to encourage the national workers to come to this agreement is a further important chronicle in the history of the Naga people. We are immensely grateful to learn of your good news and we offer our continuing prayerful support.
In peac Peter Jackson, Stuart Morton
(on behalf of Quaker Peace & Social Witness in London)
Assam Rifles to set up rural technology hubs in northeast, PTI
Times of India

SHILLONG: Three rural technology hubs will be set up in the northeast by Assam Rifles to empower rural communities.

"As a pilot project, three centres are being set up at Nongkrem village near here, Hypie in Manipur's Senapati district and Paren district of Nagaland," Director General Lt Gen Paramjit Singh said on Wednesday.

"The hubs will empower rural communities by imparting them technical skills in order to earn a living and thus attain economic independence," he told reporters.

Singh said the technical assistance and expertise to set up these environment friendly units would be provided by Himalayan Environmental Studies and Conservation Organisation (HESCO) and infrastructure by Assam Rifles.

The centres are expected to function by the first week of September and would impart training to the locals, especially women, on post-harvesting technology, horticulture, incense and charcoal making and multiple applications of water mills, Singh added.
Tribal movement resents status quo of constituencies Newmai News Network
Imphal The Movement for Tribal Peoples' Rights Manipur (MTPRM) has deeply expressed its resentment over the decision taken in the recently concluded All Political Party meeting which resolved to maintain status quo of the Assembly constituencies.
The tribal peoples' rights body warned that it will not remain a silent spectator while pledging to take up all possible measures in order to safeguard the "interest and democratic rights" of the tribal peoples in Manipur.
In a representation submitted to the Governor of the State, the MTPRM alleged in the memorandum that the hill based political parties such as the Naga National Party (NNP) and the PDF did not take part in the All Political Party meeting held on July 21 in Imphal.
The tribal rights body then asserted that delimitation of the Assembly constituencies has been effected nationwide as per the provision of the Constitution of India and it had not been singling out Manipur state. Fixing the responsibility only for the wrong reports in the census of 2001 to the state government, the statement of the MTPRM further said that the government could have taken up necessary actions to rectify the irrelevant increase of population in the hill districts of Manipur before the final publication of the census report as the enumerators were the government departments.
The statements of the MTPRM also expressed unhappiness over the decision taken in the meeting in a communal line by using terms like “if delimitation is effected in Manipur, the hills will gain 3 Assembly Constituencies and the valley will lose an equal 3 Assembly Constituencies.”
Recalling the lost of 2 Assembly Constituencies in the past, one each in Ukhrul and Senapati district in 1976 following the exercise of delimitation based on the census of 1971, the MTPRM statement said the tribal people remained silent and did not revolt in any manner in the interest of the state during the period. It added that such "chauvinism" should be wiped out from the heart of the majority community and should stand for the real cause of the territorial integrity of Manipur.
The tribal rights body then accused the majority valley community of only interested in shouting for the territorial integrity of Manipur without much care for the emotional integrity saying that whenever good fortune comes for the tribal community of the state the majority valley community deadly thwarts to do away the tribals interests.
Boro support group launches website The Morung Express

DIMAPUR, JULY 26 (MExN): Calling for support to “enable the Boros to exercise their internationally adopted Right to Self Determination” the website of the Boro Support Group was launched on July 25. “Since they are unknown to the outside world The Boro Support Group introduces the Boro People to you; their culture, their history, their present situation, their prospects,” a note received today said. “Incorporated in the Union of India, without their consultation or approval, theirs is a complex story. The Boro history, dating back millennia, supersedes all those who came to their land and who are now the dominating factors in the state of Assam; hence the Boro People are driven off their land or are forcibly alienated from the cultural roots. Treated as second class citizen they pursue the Right to Self Determination. The Boro People want just one thing; to govern themselves as a sovereign people. The Boro People are a people of this world and part of the International Community.”
10 Kuki ultras killed in factional fight in Manipur Assam Tribune
IMPHAL, July 25 – Ten militants of the Kuki Liberation Army (KLA) were killed in a gunbattle between two factions of the group in Thoubal district of Manipur, officials said today.

The militants were killed during a fierce exchange of fire between two KLA factions – one led by Thunder Kuki and other by Mosaun Kuki – at Itham Moirangpurel yesterday, they said.

During the gunbattle in the hilly area that lasted several hours, Thunder Kuki, his wife and eight supporters were killed, the officials said. The bodies of the militants were yet to be retrieved.The officials said the KLA, which has been fighting for a separate Kuki State to be carved out of Manipur, has been hit by internal clashes in the past few months.

Thunder Kuki and his supporters earlier killed KLA chief Letkholun Kuki and some of his close supporters on May 29. Mosaun Kuki, the leader of one faction, was reportedly a strong supporter of Letkholun Kuki, the officials said.

Police forces have been rushed to Itham Moirangpurel, they said. – PTI
Rogue elephants shot after killing eight in Assam By Reuters
GUWAHATI, India (Reuters) - Two elephants were shot dead after they went on the rampage killing eight people in Assam, forest officials said on Thursday.
The elephants, used for moving logs in the timber industry, ran amok on Wednesday in Cachar district in Assam, stampeding through villages and destroying dozens of bamboo and straw houses before police shot them.
Eight villagers were killed and nine injured.
"The elephants destroyed whatever came in their way. They trampled human beings, or flung them away," said Gautum Das, a local villager. Elephants are a protected and endangered species in India, which has nearly half of the world's 60,000 Asian elephants.
Conservationists say elephant populations have fallen rapidly in recent years because of loss of habitat as a result of human encroachment into forest areas.
Burmese Oil Excites China, India Indo Burma Bews
July 25, 2007: (Suite 101.com) The Chinese government has supported the Myanmarese (Burmese) military junta for decades, both through supplying it with necessary resources including weapons but also by providing diplomatic support in the United Nations Security Council.
Natural Gas and Oil Make Burma a More Appealing Friend
What is the impact of the discovery of oil and gas in Burma on international relationships with China and India?
China’s veto has been regularly employed in the Council to block action that might be taken against the dreadful human rights record of the Burmese generals.
The reasons why China should behave this way are clear: a collapse of the state of Myanmar, where several armed insurgencies are already underway, would lead to chaos on China’s southern border.
The border region is porous and its people have suffered in the past from the smuggling of illegal drugs by insurgent groups looking for cash to support their struggle for independence. China has countered the threat both by bolstering the central government and also be encouraging Chinese to invest in the north of Myanmar, to spread stability by providing people there with powerful incentives for keeping the peace.
Many visitors to the previous northern capital of Mandalay, close to the Chinese border, report that it and the whole area are now Chinese-controlled in all but name.
The recent discovery of natural gas and oil in the Shwe field in the Bay of Bengal intensified the motivation for stability to the south. China’s need for oil and reliance on imports is well-known.
With most oil imports arriving on tankers that must pass through the Straits of Malacca – which could be easily closed by permanently available US naval forces – the desire for diversification of sources is very powerful.
One result of this is that a pipeline has been built from Myanmar into China and a recent announcement was made that 6.5 trillion cubic feet of natural gas would be made available to the Chinese.
At the same time, India has also been expressing continuing interest in Myanmar’s resources. Indian announcements of substantial finds of gas have since been cut by 90% and the country faces severe shortages of power to fuel its further rapid economic development.
The outbreak of violence across the poor and neglected northeastern region of the country, as well as problems with neighbouring Bangladesh, have also led to problems with security that a nice new pipeline and its attendant wealth would help to ease.
That explains why high-powered Indian delegations are now courting the Myanmarese generals and are offering, it is alleged, advanced military helicopters in contravention of the twenty-year old European Union-led embargo. The stakes are very high.