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05/30/2012: "Centre working on a three-stage plan on peace process in NE PTI IB/live"



Centre working on a three-stage plan on peace process in NE PTI IB/live

New Delhi, May 27 (PTI) Buoyed by the success in peace talks with Naga insurgent groups, the Centre today spelt out a three-stage plan to take forward the process in the next few months. Sources said the government is happy with the progress of the talks with both NSCN (IM) and NSCN (K) groups. "We have made considerable progress in talks with the Naga groups and we are trying very hard to take the talks forward," they said. Pointing out that the Centre had recently renewed the ceasefire with NSCN (IM) and NSCN (K), the sources said the government has drawn up three stages to solve the insurgency problem in not only Nagaland but encompassing all insurgent groups in the Northeastern states. The stages are: (1) entering into ceasefire (2) political negotiations and (3) economic development in the states, they said. Replying to a question about NSCN (K) signing a ceasefire with Myanmar government on May 9 in Chiang Mai (Thailand) close to Myanmar border, the sources said India did not see this as a process contradictory to India's own efforts to secure peace with the same insurgent groups. "We will be happy if the groups and Myanmar government come to an understanding to bring peace in their own territory," according to the sources.
Fire and water don't mix E Pao
NSCN/Khaplang (K) Group, a frontline Naga Organization, signed a ceasefire agreement with Burma/Myanmar. The Naga International Support Center congratulates all in K with this long awaited détente between the Burmese and self proclaimed Naga Governments.

It's a milestone in Naga history and potentially a great achievement!

Potentially yes, so why should NISC feel and share its apprehension?

Two main reasons:

1 - K did not mention the Nagas who will soon. quite literally, go under water because an enormous hydro-electric dam is going to be built which inundates a vast area of Nagaland Burma on the Chindwin River near the small town of Tamanthi. (See our former release for more detailed info on this Indian financed project). K however has not issued a statement on what looks like a disastrous development for his people or has not shown this development was discussed was discussed during the talks for a ceasefire.

2 - K knows or could and should know that, although a civil government is busy relaxing the harsh and severe measures of the military junta and is opening up to become a just society of law and order, perhaps even a democracy, he also knows that the military generals hold the strings still. The renewed war against the Kachin, neighbors of the Nagas, shows this, even though the new civilian government tries its best to negotiate with the Kachins to end this war. K also knows that all other Indigenous Peoples of what is now called Myanmar have been victimized during the regime of the generals and that their role did not stop with the coming of the new government.

So, NISC congratulates but also asks the leaders of the Khaplang group, Khaplang himself and Mulatonu:

- to show K is the true representative of the Nagas in Myanmar,

- to show it is behind the aspirations of the thousands of the affected Nagas of the Indian Tamanthi hydro-electric project.

For more information www.nagalim.nl or write to nisc@nagalim.nl
• This Press Release was sent by Naga International Support Center who can be contacted at nisc(at)nagalim(dot)nl
This announcement was posted on May 27, 2012
Prince Andrew thanks Rio for warm welcome Times of India TNN
KOHIMA: Nagaland chief minister Neiphiu Rio has received a letter from Buckingham Palace in London about the visit Prince Andrew to the state on May 1. The letter said that the Duke of York was touched by the warm welcome that Rio and the people of Nagaland accorded him and he was delighted to be able to participate in a celebration of the United Kingdom and Nagaland's culture.
The letter added that Andrew found the music, dance and dress at the cultural show incredible and he was pleased to see so many young people at the cultural. He also hoped that his visit would help forge new ties between Britain and Nagaland.
Andrew visited Nagaland to mark Queens Elizabeth's diamond jubilee year and said he was moved by the history of Kohima War Cemetery and honour the sacrifice made by the British and Indian soldiers fighting against the Japanese, the letter said, adding that he was also glad he visited the World War II Museum and met several veterans of the Battle for Kohima in 1944.
Buckingham Palace also wrote appreciation letters to five senior officers of Nagaland for their assistance in making the Prince's visit to Nagaland memorable.
Why India feels it can work with Myanmar’s generals Pramit Pal Chaudhuri, Hindustan Times
Naypyitaw, Myanmar’s military regime assured New Delhi they would act against Northeast insurgents “and anti-India groups” on their territory. This was given to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh during his state visit to Nawpyitaw. This comes at a time when more such insurgents have moved to north Myanmar for
sanctuary.

Indian authorities say hardline fugitives of the United Liberation Front of Asom and the National Socialist Council of Nagaland, following a two year-long crackdown by the Sheikh Hasina government of Bangladesh, have fled to Upper Burma. The Naga fugitives have hidden themselves among the Naga minority who live in north Myanmar. The ULFA, who have no ethnic brethren in Myanmar, have move further afield. ULFA’s secretary, Paresh Barua, is believed by Indian intelligence to be hiding in China’s Yunnan province.
Indian foreign secretary Ranjan Mathai said, “The prime minister personally raised the issue of Northeast security and received an assurance from President Thien Sien that Northeastern insurgents and anti-Indian groups would not be allowed to operate on Myanmar soil.”
He added that this would necessitate “intelligence sharing between the two sides and that armed forces cooperation would have to intensify.”
This reflects the long and continuing success of military-to-military relations with Myanmar. These relations have helped New Delhi develop a more nuanced view of the Tatmadaw, the Burmese name for Myanmar’s armed forces, than the West.
First, New Delhi’s interactions with even brutal military rulers, like Than Shwe who suppressed the monk protests of 2007, have led it to conclude they are Burmese first and everything else second. Even the present decision to open up, say Indian officials, is “driven primarily by a sense of nationalism.”
Second, the top brass have long communicated that they did not see themselves being in power forever. In his meetings with Than Shwe, says Rajiv Bhatia, ex-Indian ambassador to Myanmar, the general recognized the army would have to give up power one day. India contributed quietly by giving the military chiefs access to Buddhist shrines in India to weaken their political instincts. The butcher of the 1988 protests, Maung Aye, for example, reportedly spends all his time in meditation.
“They go to China for guns and India for salvation,” say Indian officials half-seriously. Third, India had noticed the Myanmar military had been moving to a more flexible view on the minority issue and the pro-democracy movement of Aung San Suu Kyi. The original strategy of the Tatmadaw ws to absorb the country’s ethnic minorities into the dominant Burmese culture.
The army believed, writes Thant Myint-U, author of Where China Meets India, a policy of “Burma-ization” would secure their frontier – until they found their culture being pushed back by the more dynamic Chinese economic frontier. As the military saw its strategy fall apart, it began a carrot-and-stick policy with the minorities before moving on to striking a deal with Suu Kyi.
One of the key proponents of this shift is the present Myanmar military commander-in-chief, Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, the man India believes is the “sheet anchor” behind Thien Sien and the present reforms.
Fresh situation on Nagaland-Assam border Nagalim Times

DIMAPUR, A fresh situation has arisen on the Nagaland-Assam border with irate villagers under Ralan sub-division in Wokha District on May 26 bringing down ferro-concrete electric poles erected by Assam counterparts within the Nagaland side of the border. Calling it ‘tactical encroachment’ through development, villagers informed this reporter that more than 30 ferro-concrete electric poles were demolished by the public as they were illegally erected within the area.

What has also irked the villagers most is the setting up of signboards by the neighbouring Assam villages to demarcate a boundary line much within the Ralan jurisdiction. Villagers informed that the signboard too was demolished by the volunteers on May 26.
This is also again an incident where the supposedly neutral security forces stationed at the border areas have come under fire. The people of the area say that all these illegal activities are being carried out under the patronage of the security personnel, adding that it has been communicated to them, both verbally and in written, to discourage such activities within their jurisdiction. The May 26 incident was the consequence of the central security forces failing to heed the voice of the people, they stated.

The representatives of Wokha district, led by Parliamentary Secretary for Border Affairs, Geology & Mining, Irrigation & Flood Control Yanthungo Patton; Parliamentary Secretary for Prisons, Home Guards, Fire & Emergency Services, Er Wochumo Kithan and Deputy Speaker Ralanthung Yanthan, along with officials from the district administration and Border Affairs visited the area Sunday to take stock of the situation.
The resentment felt by the people was palpable at a public meeting held at Liphayan village. They attributed the present situation to the lack of a clear cut boundary demarcation with the neighbouring state.

Y Patton said at the meeting that the ongoing electrification by Assam state was without the consent and consultation of Nagaland Government and the public of the said area. Stating that the interest of the State and its ownership rights will be protected at all cost, he said the State government would give all support to the public to stop such illegal activities, while adding that the public should not remain idle but play proactive role to bring development in the area. He further said the door is wide open for the public to approach the government with their requirements.

Also addressing the gathering, Deputy Speaker Ralanthung Yanthan said, “We don’t have any misunderstanding nor are we fighting with our age-old traditional friends, the Ahoms of Assam, but we are fighting the illegal migrants of Assam who are trying to forcefully occupy our land and destroy our friendship.”

Meanwhile, Er W Kithan said as a Nagas we have the traditional right to defend ourselves and protect our boundaries. He appealed the public of the area to construct/fortified boundaries just as our forefathers did to protect themselves from the enemies. He also echoed that the public should come forward and approach the government for developmental activities.

Minister for Agriculture Dr Chumben Murry could not attend the meeting due to a prior engagement at Delhi.

The legislators were accompanied by DIG (Range) NAP Dimapur Elias Humtsoe; SP Wokha and Commandant 7 NAP Bhandari Philip Humtsoe; SP (Border) Etsumongo Ngullie; Joint Secretary Border Affairs, SDO (C) & Border Magistrate Ralan. The meeting was chair by ADC Bhandari Orenthung Lotha.

It was later learnt that an angry mob went and confiscated a transformer and other equipments from the worksite on May 27 afternoon. Further details are awaited till the filing of this report. EMN

Student killed, two injured in fresh Zunheboto clash Our Correspondents | EMN
ZUNHEBOTO/KOHIMA, MAY 29: After a brief lull, armed cadres of rival groups NSCN (K) and NSCN (Khole-Kitovi) resorted to firing in a public area again in Zunheboto on Tuesday evening.
A Class-IX student was killed in the crossfire while two others, including a higher secondary student and a cadre of the NSCN (Khole-Kitovi) faction, were injured.
The fierce gun-battle, which reportedly lasted for more than an hour, took place at South Point, West Ward, a residential colony around 4:30 pm when an unspecified number of NSCN-K cadres ambushed their rivals numbering around 10. The NSCN (Khole-Kitovi) cadres were camping at the residence of a ‘leacy’, sources said.
In the ensuing gun-battle, a Class IX dropout student, identified as Toki s/o Lokishe of Ghukhuyi village, was killed when he was hit by a bullet on the head. The victim was reportedly hiding underneath his bed because of the firing, family sources said.
Another student who was injured on the leg has been identified as Kunato, 21, a student of Patkai Christian College, Dimapur. He is reported to be out of danger.
One cadre of the NSCN-(Khole-Kitovi), reportedly a ‘leacy’ identified as Ghonito of Achikhumi village, was critically injured in the abdomen. He was being operated upon and his condition is stated to be grave at the time of filing this report.
According to sources, the gun-battle took place between two schools - namely Seven Home School and Step by Step School. Witnesses said armed cadres of the NSCN-K secured the Seven Home School and took position from there to fire at their rivals. A number of empty shells were recovered from the school compound. Fortunately, school hours were over by the time the shooting began.
It was reported that the police and the IR battalion could not infiltrate in order to defuse the situation due to intensity of the exchange of the gunfire.
Meanwhile, Assam Rifles troops reportedly beat up some Dobashis after the latter intervened when the AR troops refused to let the vehicle carrying the injured student to hospital pass. According to sources, AR troops halted the vehicle carrying the victim and insisted that he be taken to their camp for interrogation despite the fact that the victim could be seen bleeding profusely.
When the Dobashis who were nearby in uniform intervened and vouched that the victim was a student and should be taken to hospital first, the AR troops reportedly assaulted them.
The DC, who was also nearby, intervened and the victim was rushed to the hospital. The DC is also learnt to have questioned the AR troops for assaulting the Dobashis in uniform. The DBs said they will take up the matter to the higher authorities on the highhandedness of the armed forces.
Further sources also reported that some gunshots were also heard at the daily market, DC Hill, and New Colony area during the ongoing gun-battle, suspected to be reinforcements of the two groups showing their might.
Security has been intensified and situation Zunheboto is tensed and grim.
A press release from MIP, GPRN/NSCN (Khole-Kitovi), while confirming the firing and casualties, said the provocation of the NSCN (K) is nothing but intended to sabotage the ongoing consultative meeting held with the Sumi frontal organizations at Camp Kehoi.
It stated that the GPRN/NSCN had been patiently maintaining its ‘tolerant mindset’ and remained a silent spectator, restrained its cadres so as to prevail favourable peaceful atmosphere to fulfill the longing aspiration sought and desire by public.
However, after meticulously scrutinising and reflecting their objective, the ‘k-boys’ took advantage of the calmness of GPRN, provoked and attempted to resurrect hostile relation by culminating brotherly relationship. They have once again exposé their weakness and displayed their insanity, it stated.
The GPRN/NSCN has appealed every right thinking peace loving citizen to condemn such barbaric acts. It also deeply mourned the death of the civilian at the hand of ‘unruly K-boys.’
Driving to Thailand from India could be a reality by 2016 Sachin Parashar, Times of India

PM Manmohan Singh and President U Thein Sein for the first time set a deadline, 2016, for trilateral road connectivity which will make it possible to drive right up to Thailand from India via Myanmar.
NAY PYI DAW: As India sought to expedite its infrastructural projects in Myanmar, PM Manmohan Singh and President U Thein Sein for the first time set a deadline, 2016, for trilateral road connectivity which will make it possible to drive right up to Thailand from India via Myanmar. After the PM's "restricted" meeting with Thein Sein, who received Singh at his resplendent palace wearing the traditional Burmese gaung baung head gear, foreign secretary Ranjan Mathai announced that "efforts would be made to establish seamless trilateral connectivity by 2016".

Singh, who had a one-on-one with Thein Sein before the delegation talks, said India would undertake the repair of 71 bridges on the Tamu-Kalewa Friendship Road. India had earlier helped Myanmar build this road and the plan now is to link it with a place called Yargyi which will effectively link Moreh in India to Mae Sot in Thailand.

"The two leaders decided that India would undertake upgradation of the Kalewa-Yargyi road segment to highway standard while Myanmar would undertake upgradation of the Yargyi-Monywa stretch to highway standard by 2016," Mathai said, adding that the two leaders welcomed the revival of the Joint Task Force on the trilateral highway. Indian officials believe that this highway will truly become the bridge between India and Asean countries and place it at the heart of India's Look East policy. Myanmar is the only Asean country with which India shares land boundary.

The two leaders decided to constitute a Joint Working Group to determine the technical and commercial feasibility of cross-border rail links and the commercial feasibility of direct shipping links between the two countries. The two sides also discussed the possibility of Indian participation in development of key infrastructure projects like the Dawei port in Myanmar.

However, one of India's most ambitious projects in Myanmar, Kaladan Multimodal Transport Project which will also link India's northeast with the mainland through Sittwe port in Myanmar, barely found a mention in the joint statement. "They expressed satisfaction at the steady progress being made on the Kaladan Multimodal Transit Transport Project," it said. It is well known though that the road component of the project leading to south Mizoram is getting delayed.

- Naga Fellowshipnz""The Naga Story is an unstoppable story, it will continue to grow, to strengthen and to spread to many nations. It is the story of the Naga people and of those people who lived with Nagas. It is the story in which every Naga can find a sense of belonging, sense of identity , a sense of purpose. Giving their gifts and talents for the forwarding of a nation and building of a nation. A democratic civil movement, where every participant gives for the building of a nation. Story of a family, where everyone is a brother and a sister , sons and daughters of that nation, to help that nation fulfill its calling in Christ. It is genuine selfless dedication to this calling by every dedicated person, that will ignite the Naga freedom movement's revival, restoration and resurrection in all aspects.
Naxals trying to unite N-E insurgent groups? Asian Age
The latter part of May 2012 saw Assam gearing up security following the anti-talks faction of the United Liberation Front of Asom (Ulfa)’s “welcome programme” for Congress president Sonia Gandhi’s visit to the state. Its call for a bandh and threats was a tactic to make its presence felt as the flow of funds to its coffers has been down as many people refused to heed to their extortion demands. While timely recovery of explosives may have foiled some earlier attempts to target oil pipelines and other installations, two developments require not only inter-state and intra-state security of north-eastern states to be tightened but also diplomatic pressure on Burma to be raised to evict Indian insurgent-turned terrorists groups hiding there. One is of the Naxal-Maoists spreading to the northeast, aided by China-supported Ulfa, and other terrorist groups of the region, and the other is reuniting of many of these groups.
Yet again, the Maoist moves in the northeast have been acknowledged by the Union home minister and the chief minister of Assam. Addressing the chief ministers’ conference on internal security on April 16, home minister P Chidambaram had said that Assam has emerged as the new theatre of Maoist activity and there were also inputs about links of CPI (Maoist) with insurgent-turned-terrorist groups in Manipur and Arunachal Pradesh.
On May 12, while on a tour of Arunachal Pradesh, Mr Chidambaram is reported to have said in Itanagar that there would be no compromise with Maoists trying to destabilise peace in the northeast. He said the Centre was alive to the situation created by such groups in the region and was taking concrete steps to curb them and said state governments of the region had been asked to deal with the ultras with “a firm hand.”
Stating that there was “minimal presence” of Maoists in the region, he expressed appreciation of the steps taken by Assam and Arunachal Pradesh governments to deal with them. “There is no reason to allow such elements (Maoists) to settle in the region and create disturbances,” he said and appealed to the people not to encourage the Maoists. Accompanied by Union minister of state for home Jitendra Singh, he held a high-level meeting to review the security situation in the state. While on the one hand he expressed satisfaction with the security system of the state, on the other he stressed that much more needs to be done. “Efforts will continue as per plan,” he was quoted. On April 8, the National Investigating Agency (NIA) scored a success in snapping a major link between the Maoist rebel groups and Manipur based militant group Peoples Liberation Army (PLA) by arresting a hardcore cadre, Arnold Singh alias Bekon, working at a call centre in Siliguri. According to official sources, Arnold, who originally is from Guwahati, joined the PLA in 2003 and following the signing of an agreement between the Maoist rebels and PLA, he led a four member team of the PLA to Jharkhand where they imparted training to several batches of Maoist rebels. One of the indicators of this incident is the outreach or spread of northeast terrorist groups away from their respective states. While PLA of Manipur has had major links with Pakistan’s Inter Services Intelligence (ISI) in Bangladesh, it also has bases in a number of northeastern states.
On May 9, the Assam police claimed to have killed four unidentified Maoists activists in an encounter at Deopani Borgora Nepali Gaon near Buraburhi Than under Chapakhowa police station of Sadiya in Tinsukia district. The police recovered two AK-47 and one AK-56 rifles, 3 live grenades, 53 rounds of live ammunition, a detonator and several extortion demand notes from them.
While this operation by the Assam police was successful, it exposes only a tip of the iceberg. Because it is not only the advent of Maoists making inroads into Assam as the late leader Kishenji’s visit there proved, the fact that there are ethnic Assamese being identified as Maoists means that the process of recruiting Assamese into their organigation has progressed.
Assam chief minister Tarun Gogoi is reported to have directed top state officials to immediately prepare an action plan for setting up a task force to contain the increasing Maoist activities in the state and announced that an Assam police task force/core group would be formed under an additional director general of police to contain Maoist activities and counterfeit currency racket in the state. “Maoist activities” in Assam will no doubt be supported by the so-called anti-talks United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) and if not nipped in the bud, will spread to other states of the northeast with support from Ulfa’s other crony groups comprising Bodos, Nagas, and Meiteis. National Socialist Council of Nagaland/Nagalim-Isaac-Muivah (NSCN-IM) and PLA. Further, there has been a major development of yet another attempt at bringing together fourteen terrorist groups of the northeast together. So Mr Gogoi’s formula of raising yet another police or special force or reorganising the existing one will be easier said than done, because neutralising a combo of pan northeast groups and Naxals together, that too with Chinese support over and above substantial long-standing support of ISI, will require a complete makeover of state and central police, if the Army is to be kept out of the ambit. This will involve substantially increasing the numbers of the force, providing it good training at institutes like Counter Insurgency and Jungle Warfare School at Vairengte, Mizoram, providing better weapons, communications and mobility and most important, dynamic leadership.
In February, this year, Rajeev Bhattacharyya, working for a northeast media publication, spent a few days in an Ulfa camp set up ideally in eastern Nagaland with advantages like it being contiguous to Nagaland and Manipur, proximity to Burma, only a few days walk from Upper Assam and well connected by rivers and jungle pathways, making the delivery of weapons and supplies easy. In that camp, he witnessed a huge consignment of European 9mm pistols and HK33 assault rifles being delivered. Though Heckler and Koch do not make the HK33 anymore, variants of the rifle were produced under licence in some south Asian countries. Once the consignment was unpacked, young cadres test-fired the guns before putting them into storage. Sources were cited that orders were being placed for the Chinese Type 81 rifles and the American M16, both in the price range of `2,00,000 to `3,00,000. Interestingly, “concessional rates” apply for orders that are placed in bulk. The other very exciting but ominously significant event he witnessed was a soccer match, in which Paresh Baruah’s blue team, comprising cadres from Ulfa, the National Democratic Front of Bodoland (NDFB) and the Nationalist Socialist Council of Nagaland-Khaplang (NSCN-K) played against the opposing team made up of Manipuri terrorist groups, which won, 4-2.
Nagaland govt to crack whip on illegal collection Zee News PTI
Kohima: Nagaland Home minister Imkong Imchen reviewed at a high level meeting the situation arising out of extortion and illegal tax collection by various organizations, and unions in the state, particularly in and around Dimapur.

The meeting held at chief secretary’s conference room yesterday took stock of the situation due to illegal collections by various trade unions, associations and NGOs on highways and near check gates in the state and around Dimapur.

The meeting observed the business community bore the brunt of such illegal collections and ultimately the consumers became the victims as prices of essential goods and construction materials were spiralling in the town from where goods are supplied to other parts of the state.

The Home minister told newsmen after the meeting that he directed the law enforcing agencies to crack whip henceforth on such illegal activities even as the government does not object to formation of association or union but cannot allow them to resort to extortion.

He said they have rights to collect membership fees from among their members but forceful collection from anyone in public places is illegal and the government cannot allow to happen this.

The Minister informed that the government decided to disband such associations and union henceforth, saying this decision was made under the compelling situation of price rise of various items in the market.
He said an official notification would be issued soon to this effect.

The meeting was attended by Nagaland Home commissioner, DGP, additional DGP, forests secretary, law secretary among others.




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