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04/29/2009: "‘Transcend differences, build bridges’ CLARION CALL TO YOUNG LEADERS KICK OFF 23RD NSF GENERAL CONFERENCE Nagarealm.com"

‘Transcend differences, build bridges’ CLARION CALL TO YOUNG LEADERS KICK OFF 23RD NSF GENERAL CONFERENCE Nagarealm.com

MOPUNGCHUKET (MOKOKCHUNG), APR27 [EMN] : The harmony of nature and man’s aesthetic blend of tradition and modernity, pleasant climate and heart warming hospitality all manifested in the atmosphere of Mopungchuket as the tourist village known for the love saga of ‘Jina and Etiben’ became host to the 23rd General Conference of Naga Students’ Federation (NSF). The four-day General Conference of the apex students’ organisation got off to a invigorating start in the Introductory-cum-Interactive Session this evening, a prelude to the inaugural program scheduled for Tuesday with Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio as the chief guest. The well-planned and scenic tourist village welcomed with open arms hundreds of student delegates who have gathered to ‘Forge Mutual Destiny’, as resource person for the evening, Pfelie Kesiezie Principal, Baptist High Kohima, gave a clarion call to the young leaders to build bridges that unite.

Underscoring the need to transcend the petty internal differences and forge a mutual destiny in consonance with the ground realities of the present day, Kesiezie said Nagas’ problem lies in “our unwillingness to settle our differences” and the “fear and arrogance which have taken the better of us today.” Independence was once a non-negotiable issue, the educationist noted while regretting that “now our differences have taken centre-stage and we have kept the matter of independence and interdependence behind us when the atmosphere for negotiations are most favourable.”

Kesiezie noted that the greatest revolutions and reformations in history were based on ideals that were rooted in spirituality and said, “I believe that we are not that stupid to fight against the might of India with guns, but that doesn’t mitigate our right to live as a nation.” Taking a swipe at the fratricidal killings among the Naga underground groups, the resource person rued, “We are not just killing a soul – we are killing the soul of our nation.”

“We need to keep our guns but not train them on our brothers.”
The introductory session saw representatives of all federating units of the NSF take the stage and rounds of introductions of students’ leaders. Located 16 km away from Mokokchung town, Mopungchuket village is testimony to the unique blend of tradition and modernity that characterises the present day Naga society. And the picture perfect image of the village speaks volumes of the community participation that the inhabitants of this delightful hamlet of Aos are known for.
NBCC mourns Nagas’ decay morungexpress
Dimapur, April 28 (MExN): Lamenting the deteriorated Naga society, the Nagaland Baptist Church Council today expressed grief that the unrestrained lust for money and power, the crimes of all magnitude and shallowness, is the ‘ugly society that has come out of the lives of all of us’.
The NBCC lamented the corruption in Naga politics that the candidates who fought in the last election ‘reportedly had to spend more than Rs. 600 crores to pay for votes’. This shocking shallowness of Naga Christians and their meaning of life were revealed; the politicians, the bureaucrats and contractors are not the only ones to blame, the church said is a statement today.
Likewise, the NBCC listed out: the disgraceful scams in the Nagaland Public Service Commission keep surfacing; the massive fraud of the bogus teachers being put on the state’s pay roll resulting in countless genuine teachers not receiving their salaries; senior officials of the state investigating into criminal activities being told not to carry out their tasks on pain of dire consequences; “these are the moral and spiritual diet the Nagas feed on daily as they try to struggle for their survival and progress.
Our people deserve better feeding” the NBCC said.
The scams and scandals and the unrestrained greed for easy money have rendered the Naga society unmanageable and unstable, it said adding that the Nagas have become a people with no sense of responsibility for the consequences of their acts. “The manifestation of rampant threat abduction, extortion, killing, sexual abuse, rape and various detestable evils are only the natural outcome. Let us all question ourselves; where are we the Christian dominated State heading?” the church lamented.
“Yet this ugly society has come out of the lives of all of us. That is the honest-to-God truth. And we have no choice but to accept it with all its faults and transform it together for our children to inherit a better, safer society” the NBCC said in acknowledgement. That the church’s leadership is fully aware of “our limitations to meet the challenge of the crisis” but, the NBCC explained, “The church’s commitment to fight for the ways of God to win is unshakable as the battle is God’s battle and He will win if enough Christians will pay the price of obedience to Him”. ‘This is our faith and confidence because of him who has called us to stand with him’ it added.
The NBCC has called upon all the men of power, wealth and influence, whether mainstream or underground, not to treat God’s values for his kingdom lightly. It is time to get on God’s side, for the sake of the future the church said. “If we will simply co-operate with God, instead of with Satan, the restoration of our society will surprise us. Our co-operation with the Deceiver must end” the NBCC added.
NSF speaker ‘impeached’ morungexpress
Dimapur, April 28 (MExN): The Naga Students’ Federation today impeached NSF Speaker Cusayi Lohe during its 7th Federal Assembly held at the Community hall in Mopungchuket Village Hall during the 23rd NSF General conference. NSF resolved to ‘withdraw’ Cusayi Lohe speaker NSF of CSU from the Federation.
The house unanimously condemned “the act committed by Cusayi Lohe 2007-09” and “also found him (of) misconduct and abusing the office by collecting funds through forgery”, disclosed a copy of the meeting minutes of the NSF Federal Assembly received here today. The assembly was attended by 17 Federating Units and four subordinate units.
“Losing the confidence of the units present, the house has collectively impeached him (Cusayi Lohe) from the post of Speaker, NSF,” the meeting minutes informed. The NSF at the federal assembly also approved the change of nomenclature of LSU to Kyong Students Union (KSU).
Reviewing the minutes of the 5th Federal Assembly, the house re-affirmed the previous decision with regard to the “affiliation of School to NBSE”. The house again endorsed ANSAM along with the concerning Federating units to come up with concrete strategy and plan of action to expedite the matter at the earliest, the meeting minutes stated.
The house further re-affirmed and resolved to stick to 33 years for the length of the service for government employees. The house entrusted the new incumbent to strength the decision and pursue accordingly, the 7th NSF Federal Assembly resolved.
Our Correspondent adds
The Chakesang Students’ Union in a letter dated April 26 addressed to the deputy Speaker NSF Chumbemo Ngullie had informed the latter about its decision of “withdrawal” of Cusayi Lohe from the NSF. The CSU in a separate order passed have terminated the membership of Cusayi Lohe w.e.f from April 26, 2009 till January 2010 for his alleged involvement in the 2009 State by-elections and parliamentary election, and illegal fund collection against the 23rd NSF general conference.

71 NDFB cadres loyal to Daimary entered Kokrajhar: From our Correspondent SP Sentinel
Two militants involved in Oct 30 serial blasts killed
KOKRAJHAR, April 29: Two NDFB cadres belonging to the outfit’s third battalion under Ranjan Daimary alias DR Nabla were killed in an encounter with a joint team of police and Army at Bhalukjhora under Kokrajhar police station in the wee hours today. This is the first killing of NDFB (Daimary faction) cadres in encounter after the split of the outfit. The killed NDFB cadres have been identified as Simang Basumatary alias Simangshu (23) of Manikpur and Chandan Basumatary alias Saiklan Basumatary (25) of Bengtol. The Army, however, claimed that the slain NDFB militants were involved in the October 30 serial blasts last year in the State and the April 24 ambush on BTC leaders at Panbari. In another incident, Gossaigaon district BPPF president Birbhushan Narzary (48) was shot at and injured by suspected BPF activists at Chowltara under Bhaoraguri police outpost at 9.45 am today.
Talking to newsmen at Kokrajhar police station, Red Horns Division’s 11 Maratha Light Infantry Commanding Officer Hitesh Balla said: “The slain militants belonged to the NDFB, and they were involved in the Panbari attack on BTC leaders and the October 30 serial blasts in the State last year. Some NDFB cadres were taking shelter in a house. When we carried out the operation acting on a tip-off, the militants fled and fired at us while fleeing. Our troops retaliated the firing and killed the two in the encounter.”
The Army recovered a 9-mm pistol, an Italian pistol, some ammunition, two grenades and two magazines from the slain militants.
In the other incident, Gossaigaon district BPPF president Birbhushan Narzary, a teacher, was shot at by two unidentified miscreants at Chowtara under Bhaoraguri police outpost when he was on his way to Tulsibil HS School. Narzary received four bullets in the abdomen and the chest. He was admitted to RN Brahma Hospital from where he was shifted to Lower Assam Hospital at Bogaigaon in a critical condition.
Meanwhile, Kokrajhar SP PK Dutta said as many as 71 NDFB cadres belonging to the third battalion of the outfit under Ranjan Daimary entered Kokrajhar a couple of days before the beginning of the Lok Sabha polls. He said at least eight cadres of the third battalion of the NDFB were involved in the ambush on BTC leaders, including Kokrajhar Lok Sabha candidate SK Bwiswmuthiary, at Panbari recently. He said the outfit has set up three camps, one each at Tipkai, Kazigaon and Bashbari in Porbhotjhora subdivision of Kokrajhar district. The SP said as many as 532 cadres of the outfit have been at the designated camp at Serfanguri and 41 others are with their families.
NLD sets pre-conditions for role in elections by Mungpi Mizzima
New Delhi (Mizzima) - Burma’s main opposition party – the National League for Democracy – on Wednesday said it was willing to contest the forthcoming 2010 elections if the military regime releases political prisoners, and makes proper amendments to its Constitution.

Nyan Win, the NLD spokesperson, said the party would decide on contesting the 2010 elections only if the government unconditionally released political prisoners, including Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, Tin Oo Khun Tun Oo, Sai Nyunt Lwin, Min Ko Naing and Ko Ko Gyi, and reviewed and amended the 2008 Constitution.

“We reiterate our call to the junta to amend the Constitution and for the release of political prisoners, and then we will decide on contesting the 2010 elections,” Nyan Win told Mizzima. The NLD voiced its stand in the “Shwegonedine Declaration” released on Wednesday, at the conclusion of a two-day plenary meeting between party leaders in Rangoon on April 28 and 29.

The NLD, which won a landslide victory in the last general elections in 1990, said so far they had not prepared for the ensuing elections, but would do so once the government responded to their request of reviewing the Constitution and amending the contents that were undemocratic.

“These points are the pre-conditions for us to be able to contest the elections,” Nyan Win added. The party also called on Junta supremo Snr. Gen Than Shwe to embark on a dialogue with detained opposition leader Daw Aung San Suu Kyi.

Burma’s ruling military junta, as part of its seven-step roadmap, approved a new Constitution in a referendum in May 2008 and declared it would hold a general election in 2010. However, the opposition, including the NLD have said, the junta’s Constitution was drafted unilaterally and does not reflect the peoples’ aspirations. The NLD has called for a review of the Constitution and the amendment of its contents.

But a few critics have said, the NLD should realize that it needs to take a clear-cut stand on the junta’s proposed 2010 elections, as the current stand could confuse the people.

Aung Naing Oo, a Thailand-based Burmese political analyst, said, the NLD should take a clear stand on whether they would contest the 2010 elections, because having no clear stand reduces their credibility.
Aung Naing Oo said, “If the NLD considers itself a revolutionary group, then they should clearly reject the junta’s elections on grounds that it would be manipulated, but if they consider themselves a political party, it would be wise for them to contest the elections.”
But, with the junta not wanting the NLD to take part in the election, the party’s pre-conditions for joining the elections could be serving the junta’s interest, as the junta was unlikely to fulfill them, Aung Naing Oo added.

“The junta would obviously prefer not having the opposition contesting the elections. So the NLD’s current stand of demanding pre-conditions could be serving the junta’s interests,” he said. But Nyo Ohn Myint, in-charge of the exiled NLD-Liberated Area’s Foreign Affairs Committee, said going ahead without the NLD would put a big question mark on the junta’s legitimacy, as the NLD was the legitimate winner of the 1990 elections.

“The junta would lack legitimacy, if the NLD does not contest the elections,” he said.
He said, the NLD was clear in its stand in setting pre-conditions before it could decide on joining the elections, as there was no guarantee that the junta would honour the election results.

“Without all these pre-conditions, nobody can assure that the junta will honour the election results just like they did not in the 1990 elections,” he said. He said, with the NLD declaring their pre-conditions, it was only fair to give some space and time to the junta to think it over before the NLD could make another move by declaring their stand on the elections – to reject or to contest.

Aung Shwe, NLD’s Chairman, in his opening speech on Tuesday urged NLD members to brainstorm on the junta’s elections and to decide what the party should do. Nyan Win said, the two-day meeting at the party headquarters in Rangoon’s Shwegonedine had been crucial as they were able to come up with a unified stand. He said, it was the fifth such meeting that the NLD had been able to hold in the past 20 years.

Junta meets leaders of ethnic ceasefire groups by Myo Gyi Mizzima

Ruili (Mizzima) – In a renewed effort to persuade ceasefire armed groups to join them, Burma’s military junta on Tuesday met with six Sino-Burmese border based ethnic armed ceasefire groups. The junta’s Military Affairs Security (MAS) Chief Maj. Gen. Ye Myint and regional command commanders met ethnic leaders of six ceasefire groups on Tuesday, separately at the same time in their respective regions.

Northern Command Commander Maj. Gen. Soe Win met 'Kachin Independence Organization' (KIO) and the 'New Democratic Army' (Kachin) – (NDA-K) from Kachin State at its command HQ in Myitkyina, separately in the morning and evening respectively, political and military analyst Aung Kyaw Zaw, based on the Sino-Burma border told Mizzima.

The ceasefire groups from Shan State (North) namely 'United Wa State Solidarity Party' (UWSP), 'Shan State Army (North) (SSA-N), 'Myanmar National Democratic Allied Army' (MNDAA) and 'National Democratic Allied Army' (NDAA) met MAS Chief Maj. Gen. Ye Myint and the Northeast Command Commander separately. The UWSP held its meeting in Tangyan, Shan State (North) and the 171st Military Region met in Kengtung, eastern Shan State separately. Aung Kyaw Zaw said that it was unusual and significant to see the UWSP meeting in Tangyan, rather than the usual venue of Lashio.

"The Northern Command Commander was due to meet KIA on April 28 in the morning at about 9 a.m. or 10 a.m. The Zakhung Teng Ying group will meet at about 1:30 p.m. As for the Northeast Command, the Command Commander will meet SSA-N at Ruili Guesthouse in Lashio and Laokaing Region Commander Brig. Gen. Win Maung will meet the Kokang group in Laokaing in the evening," he said.

Maj. Gen. Ye Myint met the most powerful ceasefire group UWSA, in Tangyang in the morning and met the 171st military region in southern Wa State and arranged to meet NDAA in Kengtung, it was learnt. The junta informed these ceasefire groups in advance to bring the military commanders of their groups along with their leaders.

Aung Kyaw Zaw said that it had been suggested that the discussions between them would focus on military affairs before the ensuing 2010 elections and there would be no concrete results from these meetings. These ceasefire groups would continue in keeping with their own plans in the meantime. The speeches delivered at the functions by their respective leaders revealed that the ceasefire groups were unlikely to accept being disarming and reorganization of their forces. The unilaterally drafted and approved 2008 Constitution was also totally unacceptable to them.

They would discuss only the general issue of reorganizing the ethnic armed forces as border security and administrative forces under the respective military commands. This is one step lower than the junta's previous demand of laying down arms. The conclusion drawn from the non-existence of open confrontation by the ceasefire groups against the junta, that they would do whatever the junta said, is totally wrong, Aung Kyaw Zaw said.

"It is likely that some leaders will be alienated from their respective organizations and they will enter politics by forming a political party. Some would be with their forces and it is unlikely that they will surrender their forces to the junta within 1 or 2 years. Some organizations such as KDA and Zakhung Teng Ying would do such a thing. But I do not think other organizations would do any such thing," he said.

Some leaders from ethnic Kachin armed groups in Kachin State are planning to form a Kachin State Progressive Party and those who join this party must resign from their mother organizations. The current meetings suggest the dilemma among them. For the ceasefire groups, reigniting armed resistance at this moment is both impractical and impossible. The ceasefire groups were unavailable for comment.