Morung Express News
Dimapur | May 24
The GPRN/NSCN collective leadership including Chairman ‘Gen’ (Retd), Khole Konyak, and General Secretary, Kitovi Zhimomi, left for Chiang Mai, Thailand, to attend another meeting on reconciliation initiated by Forum for Naga Reconciliation (FNR), scheduled in the last week of May.
At a brief interaction with mediapersons at Dimapur Airport before their departure Thursday afternoon, the GPRN/NSCN General Secretary said that a lot of confusion had been created with regard to the Chiang Mia meeting. At the same time, Kitovi insisted that despite differences, the “hard earned” reconciliation process should not be wasted and that all Naga groups should sit together and sort out differences.
On his reported statement made on April 29 last after the GPRN/NSCN signed ceasefire extension with the Government of India, that the GPRN/NSCN desired to seek political settlement within “the boundary of the so-called Nagaland”, Kitovi clarified that by “Nagaland” he meant all Naga-inhabited areas.
Queried whether after the Chiang Mai meeting, the GPRN/NSCN would start political negotiations with the government of India, the GPRN leader replied in the affirmative. He however said before that, the GPRN/NSCN would first meet the Naga people to take their views and suggestions.
On the recent ceasefire signed between the rival NSCN (Khaplang) and Myanmar government, Kitovi said that when the extension of ceasefire between the NSCN (K) and Government of India was kept in abeyance last month because of the NSCN (K)’s ceasefire agreement with Myanmar, he (Kitovi) had urged the government of India to extend ceasefire with the NSCN (K) in the interest of peace.
Alezo Venuh, the GPRN/NSCN envoy to the collective leadership is accompanying Khole and Kitovi. GPRN/NSCN sources also said that a second delegation of their leaders will be leaving for Chiang Mai in the next few days.
It may be mentioned the NSCN (IM) in a joint meeting of its steering committee and council of kilonsers (ministers) on May 14 last, decided not to attend the 14th Chiang Mai meet. The NSCN (IM) had asked the GPRN/NSCN (Khole-Kitovi) to clarify to the Naga people on the latter’s desire to seek political settlement within “the boundary of the so-called Nagaland as intimated to the government of India”.
Meanwhile, a senior NSCN (K) member, Wangtin Naga, informed yesterday that he has already reached Thailand for the Naga Reconciliation meeting as the “authorised representative of chairman SS Khaplang.” “I am not expecting to be in the meeting of the collective leadership. My first wish is for the meeting to go smoothly. I am now in Bangkok and will be available to attend the meeting if required”, Wangtin said.
