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01/28/2009: "In the background of the Peace Process provocations undermine the spirit of the Ceasefire and peace talks."

A Naga International Support Center, NISC, www.nagalim.nl
A human rights organization

From the NISC mobile office, 30 January 2009

In the background of the Peace Process provocations undermine the spirit of the Ceasefire and peace talks.

A well covered Government of India – Government of the Peoples Republic of Nagalim agreement once and for all put an end to misinterpretation to the extent of the ceasefire with the addiction of the term ‘without territorial limits.
Already at the signing of the cease fire agreement, 1997, it was obvious that this agreement was arrived at between two parties, the Governments of India and the Government of the Peoples Republic of Nagallim. There was no mistake in understanding, because part of the dispute was based on limitations of territory that two nations not the nation India and the state Nagaland had agreed to ceasefire.
The use of electrified barbed wire around the Naga Camp to prevent Naga Forces to leave, is an inhumane act and a Violation of Human Rights.

Considering the points above the Naga International Support Center requests the Government of India to answer the following questions:

1 – Is there any misunderstanding, misinterpretation, of the meaning and extent of the ceasefire by the Armed Forces on the ceasefire with the Government of the Peoples Republic of Nagalim?
2 - On the basis of genuine peace talks should your Armed Forces not show restraint?
3 - The besieging and subsequent threatening of Naga soldiers residing peacefully in the vicinity of a village is a threat to civilian life too. Have your forces been ordered to disrupt the life of peaceful Naga citizens?

Considering that the Assam Rifles, who base their action on the idea that the cease fire covers Nagaland State only, not Manipur or other Naga lands and hence no camps if the Naga Army should be there, the Naga International Support Center strongly demands that the Government of India:

- orders the Assam Rifles to immediately withdraw
- explains the meaning of cease fire to all troops
- stops all conflicting instructions
- to order its forces to show restraint
- to stop provoking the Naga Forces to the point of jeopardizing the Peace Process
- show respect for Human Rights by instantly removing the electrified barbed wire from around the Naga Camp

For more information visit our website www.nagalim.nl or get in touch nisc@nagalim.nl

Siroy forces reject rebel demand OUR CORRESPONDENT The Telegraph
Imphal, Jan. 27: Naga militants holed up in a camp in Ukhrul’s Siroy today agreed to move out if they were allowed to shift to another village and not to a designated camp — a demand the Assam Rifles rejected.
The 17 Assam Rifles surrounded the camp of the National Socialist Council of Nagalim (Isak-Muivah) on January 18 after the militants, who are not supposed to set up camps outside Nagaland according to ceasefire ground rules, refused to surrender their weapons.
The Assam Rifles public relations office this afternoon issued a statement rejecting the NSCN (I-M) demand of shifting to another village.
“The NSCN (I-M) authorities have intimated that they (the cadres) would not move to any of the designated camps and their cadres would move to yet another village with arms, ammunition explosives. Obviously this proposal cannot be accepted as no armed cadres can be permitted to move in any of these areas,” the statement said.
On January 23, the NSCN (I-M) sought “safe passage” out of Siroy — a request the Assam Rifles accepted “as a one-time measure” to allow the militants to move to any one of their designated camps with their weapons.
The Assam Rifles today said the army and the paramilitary forces “have gone out of their way” to help the people of Siroy. “NSCN (I-M) armed cadres, if allowed to remain in these areas, will affect the security situation and the peaceful environment and hence, (that) cannot be permitted,” the statement said.
The forces will continue to cordon the area until the rebels either surrender their weapons and leave or move to any of the designated camps with their weapons.
Naga women, who formed a wall between the rebels and forces to pre-empt clashes, continued to keep vigil today.
Hundreds of Naga villagers, under the Co-ordinating Committee on Siroy Siege, today held a sit-in on Gandhi Avenue at the district headquarters demanding withdrawal of the troops from the area to allow the NSCN (I-M) cadres to leave.
“The sit-in was organised to put pressure on the Assam Rifles personnel to allow the cadres to leave by withdrawing first from the area,” a spokesperson of the committee said over phone.
“We believe once the Assam Rifles withdraw, the cadres will go away. So the civil society groups of Ukhrul have been urging the Assam Rifles to vacate the area first,” a resident of Ukhrul, T. Shimary, said.