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09/17/2007: "THE NAGAS IN THE INTERNATIONAL YEAR OF THE WORLD’S INDEGENOUS PEOPLES: A PREROGATIVE"

THE NAGAS IN THE INTERNATIONAL YEAR OF THE WORLD’S INDEGENOUS PEOPLES: A PREROGATIVE

1. The Naga Peoples’ Movement for Human Rights (NPMHR) appreciates the
United Nation’s proclamation of 1993 as the INTERNATIONAL YEAR OF THE WORLD’S INDIGENOUS PEOPLES. We would like to make a contribution to strengthen this international year for a NEW PARTNERSHIP.

2. We, the Nagas, an indigenous people of Asia would like to point out that our
situation does not fall under the category of the draft declaration. Our case is different and distinct in itself while the problems of most of the other indigenous peoples relate to recognition of their rights within certain nation states and they seek redressal of their problems with Governments concerned, our case is an indigenous people under forced occupation and seeking recognition of their right of place as a sovereign state.

3. We would like to pint out that Nagas are one of the indigenous peoples in the
world who had conceived and lived by our own concept of distinct people and sovereignty since time immemorial. Although our country was not a nation in the western concept when the British conquered part of our land, it is true that we governed ourselves according to our concept of state-craft, customs and traditions. It was only in the 1950’s, that our necessity to make the rest of the world understand our nationhood that modern form of Government was adopted. And unlike many indigenous areas of the world, we are still majority in our country and we exercise full local Self-Governments. Our customary laws still prevails today.

4. The Nagas belonging to the Tibeto-Burmans sub-group of the Mongoloid race are
over 3 million people. They occupy approximately an area of 47,000 Sq.miles with China in the North, Myanmar in the East and India in the West and South. The area holds rich mineral deposits and forest resources which are indiscriminately exploited by occupational forces of India and Myanmar. This in turn has created ecological problems/imbalances not to mention the fact that the Nagas are being denied their full and traditional rights to their land and natural resources.

5. The land of the Nagas straddles the boundary line which the British, without
consulting the Nagas, drew to demarcate the territories of the then Indian and Burma. This imaginary international boundary line runs through the middle of villages and even houses. Before the advent of the British, the Naga country was self contained much like the Grecian city state. The process of British colonization began in the nineteenth century was conquered. But more than half of the Naga country remained Independent till the British left. Refusing to be ruled by alien forces, the Nagas declared their independence on the 14th August, 1947. However, the administration of India and Burma moved into the Naga country by force and in due course, this led to a serious armed conflict which is continuing even today.

6. Thus Nagas are suffering from various kinds of Human Right violations and
including the arbitrary division of their land by international frontiers. Division of the Naga country between two nation states by the international boundary line, super imposition of other dominant administration and cultures has created a number of problems. Transmigration and influx of illegal immigrants from neighbouring countries are threatening to make the Nagas a minority in their own land.

Having read the Preambular and Operative Draft Declaration as declared
upon by the members of the working Group at its first reading and in the light of the above observations, the Naga People’s Movement for Human Rights submit that the rights of the Nagas be incorporated in the Declaration:

i. The right to live together as a people through unification of all Naga areas.
ii. The right to be free from the clutches of occupational forces, and
iii. The right to have the United Nations recognition of the Naga Country as a Sovereign Nation.