NTC decries military offensive in Myanmar

Dimapur, May 21 (EMN): The Nagaland Tribes Council (NTC) has denounced what it called ‘military aggressions against the Nagas’ in Myanmar and have expressed worry that it might take the form of the infamous ‘ethnic cleansing’ against the Rohingya Muslims. Likewise, the NTC has expressed shock at the reports that a hit man was hired to assassinate a politician from Nagaland. The organisation issued a press release to the media on Tuesday giving the statement. “The ongoing Myanmar’s military aggressions against the Nagas in Naga self-administered zone, Myanmar, is a serious matter of concern,” the NTC stated. The Nagas in Myanmar are in their ancestral land and they are the aboriginal (sic) owners of the land and its resources.” The organisation expressed displeasure “the nature of the offensive of the army of Myanmar against the Nagas” which the NTC also said was “found to be targeting not only the suspected militants but the general populace.” If the “ongoing aggression” continues, the NTC stated, the “innocent and defenceless Nagas” will face the same fate of the Muslim Rohingyas who had to flee homes in their lakh under the pressure of ‘ethnic cleansing’ by Myanmar govt., the statement declared. ‘The Nagas in Myanmar are in their own land and they are not illegal immigrants in that country. ‘The military offensive against them, particularly the general populace can never be justified. ‘Such aggression is a total violation of human rights and is therefore condemned.’ The organisation stated that there has been “peace” under a ceasefire between the NSCN(K) of Myanmar and the Myanmar govt., since 2012 and both the parties are expected to abide by its terms. “It is also pertinent to state that such ceasefire is a means to an end, and while accepting that the ceasefire alone cannot naturally sustain long term peace, it is imperative that the parties are duty bound to take necessary initiatives to work out sustainable peace during the ceasefire. “The NTC appeals to NSCN(K) of Myanmar to sincerely pursue the best options for permanent peace under the present ceasefire and by which alone the Nagas in the east will be protected from invasion and subjugation,” the organisation stated. Stating that India has ‘strong relationship’ with Myanmar, the NTC has appealed to the government of India to ‘prevail upon Myanmar not to push the Nagas in that country for the sake of peace in the eastern regions of India.’ “The enforcement of the policy of ethnic cleansing in Myanmar will definitely upset the existing peaceful atmosphere in the eastern region,” the press release added. Another matter that the organisation denounced was reports that a professional contract killer by name Vijay Farmana who was arrested from Lucknow was to assassinate a politician in Nagaland. “Whoever has hired Vijay Farmana is no doubt not an ordinary citizen but a very wealthy person who could spend not less than a crore of rupees for annihilation of a Naga politician,” the NTC stated. “Despite the tumultuous political history the Nagas have, this episode is the first of its kind in hiring foreign shooters to finish the life of the Nagas which is a new violent culture if found to be true and we cannot afford to handle the very case casually.” Now that the ‘major kingpin’ is in the custody of Police, the NTC stated, further investigation for extracting the details of the nefarious plans should be easier provided that the govt. of Nagaland takes it seriously. “The NTC urges upon the state govt. to positively bring the investigation to its realistically logical conclusion without any dilution and award befitting punishment as per law of the land,” the press release stated.