Dimapur, October 2 (MExN): The Naga Peoples Movement for Human Rights today said one Anthony Shing, “head of foreign affairs” of the NSCN (IM), has ‘disappeared’. The note said Shing, alias Ningkhan Shimray, 49 years old, ‘disappeared’ on September 27, around 6:00 PM from Tribhuvan Airport, Kathmandu in Nepal. A letter addressed to the Indian and Nepal government from the NPMHR named the perpetrators to be “unidentified intelligence personnel of India and Nepal.”
“…the enforced disappearance of one of the leaders of NSCN-IM while the peace talks are ongoing and shortly before a new round of negotiations was to start raises the question whether India is genuinely committed to finding a peaceful and lasting solution to the India-Naga conflict,” the NPMHR stated.
The organization said Anthony Shing went missing after he landed on September 27 September in Katmandu. The note was appended by Gina Shangkham, NPMHR’s secretary general. The NSCN (IM) functionary was on way to India to attend the next round of peace talks scheduled to start on September 29 and was to take the flight to New Delhi on the morning of September 28 to join his team after he flew from Bangkok in a Royal Nepal Airlines flight, NPMHR said.
“Two acquaintances and the driver of the hotel’s pick-up service waited for him at the airport for hours, but he did not appear nor did he get in touch with the hotel or anyone else of his contacts in Kathmandu. They waited for long hours since they were informed that he had departed from Bangkok and the airport in Kathmandu is relatively small with only one exit gate for the general passengers.”
According to the NPMHR, “investigations” undertaken “by a human rights group in Kathmandu” revealed that he landed in the airport and “crossed the immigration without any problem but was abducted/arrested by the RAW in collusion with the Government of Nepal inside the airport.” The NPMHR claimed “these evidences have come from eye witnesses and sources from the government who for reasons of security has requested anonymity as much as possible.”
The organization said to fear that if the “Government of India and Nepal” does not “take the responsibility and disclose his whereabouts immediately,” the peace process would be threatened. “The government of India is also answerable to the people of India as a democratic country,” the NPMHR said. It has urged for safety of Shing “by immediately disclosing his whereabouts”, allow him “to legal counsel and medical services”, grant access to family members and colleagues and “respect the terms of ceasefire agreement”.
