Dimapur, August 18 (MExN): The Global Naga Forum (GNF) today expressed strong support for the Naga Students’ Organisation (NSO) Myanmar’s (Burma) stance against the alleged “abduction and forced conscription” of Naga youths in Shinbwiyang by the Kachin Independence Army (KIA) and its allied Eastern Naga Defense Army (ENDA).
In a statement, the GNF commended NSO Myanmar's “measured and dignified response” upholding Naga political ideals of “truth, unity and justice.” It termed KIA’s recent actions as a departure from historical Kachin-Naga solidarity built on “mutual respect, cultural affinity, and political cooperation.”
“Therefore, the recent shift in KIAs approach, marked by coercion and violations of individual dignity, is not only disappointing but deeply painful for the Naga people,” it stated.
The forum expressed concern that KIA’s shift may be “influenced by larger geopolitical forces” in the Indo-Myanmar region. It claimed that ‘the strategic interests of powerful actors, including the military junta in Myanmar, Government of India (GoI), People’s Republic of China, and United States have significantly altered the dynamics on the ground.’
It questioned whether India’s scrapping of the Free Movement Regime (FMR) and Naga peace talks context were factors in KIA's stance. “Such developments must be critically examined,” the forum stated.
Urging KIA to return to its “founding revolutionary ethics,” the GNF called for cessation of “forced conscription and intimidation.”
It appealed to indigenous movements to resist becoming “pawns in power games of dominant regimes and imperialist forces.”
The forum reaffirmed commitment to Naga-Kachin fraternal ties while supporting NSO Myanmar’s stand for peace and justice.
