Centre's overture to NSCN (K) hits Myanmar wall

NEW DELHI, Aug 18: A week after the home ministry gave security clearance to a 16-member ga delegation to travel to Myanmar to hold talks with NSCN-K chief SS Khaplang, the delegation is yet to receive the green light from the Myanmar government.

The delegation is expected to talk to NSCN-K about resuming the 2001 ceasefire which was abrogated in March this year. The delegation is also likely to convince the group to join the peace process.

According to the delegation, that consists of members from apex ga civil society-ga Hoho and Eastern galand People’s Organisation (ENPO), the request was made to the Myanmar government immediately after the ga Peace Accord was signed on Aug 3 between the Indian government and the NSCN (IM). A further reminder was sent last week.

“We have not received the security clearance or even any kind of reply from the Myanmar government inspite of making the request weeks ago. Due to the absence of the order, we are uble to decide on the dates to travel to Myanmar or where we are likely to hold talks with the senior officials of NSCN (K) including its chief S.S. Khaplang,” ga Hoho president P0 Chuba Ozukum said.

In recent times, Khaplang has signed a pact with the Myanmar government, paving the way for grant of autonomy to the NSCN-K in Sagaing- a Northwestern administrative region of Myanmar.

The agreement allows NSCN-K members to move urmed across the country and to open a sub-office in the region.

Speaking on the issue, Minister of State for Home Affairs Kiren Rijiju told IANS, “Home Ministry has got nothing with filizing the dates, as it is not an official delegation. Apart from the security clearance, we are not giving any direction to them on their travel.”

galand chief minister TR Zeliang and home minister Yanthungo Patton had met union home minister Rajth Singh earlier this month. “They told him that they are going to send a team to Myanmar to talk with the NSCN (K) chief. They have also said that they will put efforts from their side. So, if that is so, then what’s the problem, let them go ahead with it. However, Myanmar government’s clearance is must,” he said.

Central government’s interlocutor for the ga peace talks RN Ravi is also in galand to take ahead the fil accord and is likely to meet leaders of other factions of the NSCN.

tiol Socialist Council of galim (NSCN) has several factions including NSCN (Isak-Muivah), NSCN (Khaplang), NSCN (Unification), NSCN (Reformation) and NSCN (Khole-Kitovi). Apart from that there also exists the oldest of all groups-the ga tiol Council (NNC).

A source in ENPO, which is part of the delegation, told IANS that though the place set for the negotiation is in a remote area of Myanmar, the delegation cannot depart without the Myanmar government’s permission.

On being asked about the content of the negotiations, he said: “First of all we have to make the NSCN (K) understand the ga Accord signed between the government and the NSCN (IM). We will try to convince them to resume the ceasefire that they had abrogated early this year. We want peace in galand.”

The abrogation of the 14-year-old ceasefire in March this year was followed by several attacks on the Indian Army, the first being on the Assam Rifles in galand’s Mon district, killing eight troopers and then on June 4, in which 20 troopers of the Dogra Regiment was killed in an ambush in Manipur’s Chandel district.

Earlier, the Myanmar government had informally indicated that permission to travel for the delegation would be available after August 15, India’s Independence Day. (IANS)