NSCN (I-M) has expressed deep concern over the violation of the Agreed Ground Rules for ceasefire by the central government that occurred again on Tuesday, in which three Naga Army cadres were killed at NC Hills, Assam (Eloi Hau Battalion) by Indian forces.
NSCN (I-M) in a statement termed it as a deliberate breach of the jointly established Agreed Ground Rules to maintain peace during the sensitive ongoing political negotiation period.
Despite its commitment to de-escalation and restraint, NSCN (I-M) said that the government had chosen to discard the ceasefire terms of clause (a) “There would be no offensive operations like ambush, raid and attack leading to death/damage or loss of property against the NSCN by the Indian Army, Paramilitary Forces and the Police.
The Indian Army and Paramilitary Forces would also act in a manner as not to cause harassment/damage or loss of property or injury to the civilian population” by launching an unprovoked attack on the Naga Army base, which now posed a serious threat to ongoing peace efforts.
The group called upon the central government to immediately cease all hostile activities, respect the terms of the ceasefire, and engage in dialogue to prevent further escalation. It also urged the international community and relevant monitoring bodies to take note of this serious violation and support efforts to restore and uphold the ceasefire so that a negotiated political agreement should be arrived at.
NSCN (I-M) declared that though its commitment to peace remained unshaken, it reserved the right to take all means necessary and measures to protect the people and territory in the face of aggression.
Meanwhile, in another statement, Naga Army PIB director ‘brig’ H Sumi and assistant director ‘lt col’ S Yurkhan alleged that a combined force of Indian Army and Assam Police attacked a cluster of camps of its “Eloi Hau Battalion” in adjoining forest area of New Kubin and Herakilua villages in Assam on Tuesday.
Naga Army, quoting eyewitnesses, claimed that dozens of army personnel were also killed including three of its cadres during the exchange of fire between both sides. The PIB also said that the villagers were not allowed to go near the spot, and bodies of the deceased army men were loaded into trucks and the injured were taken away.
The PIB offered salute to the NSCN cadres for laying down their precious lives in the line of duty in defence of the land and rights. The Signatories reminded that when ceasefire was declared in 1997, the essence of self-restraint among the combatants and showing mutual respect between the opposing camps was instilled primarily to create conducive atmosphere for peace parleys.
They stressed that this spirit of cooperation could not be subjected to a particular area for the same reason that it did not make sense to be fighting in one place and talking peace in another place at the same time.
Against this backdrop, PIB said a joint statement was issued on June 14, 2001, stating that the ceasefire agreement was between the central government and the NSCN as two entities without territorial limits.
In line with this agreement, PIB pointed out that Naga Army camps existed and operated in all Naga-inhabited areas, maintaining the ground rules of ceasefire agreement.
However, it expressed dismay that Indian security forces had in the past repeatedly violated this very spirit of ceasefire on one pretext or the other.
Asserting that the Naga Army could not afford to be victims of such ambiguities, they said these unprovoked attacks constituted a reprehensible violation and unilateral abrogation of ceasefire agreement, a betrayal of diplomatic efforts and deliberate undermining of the ongoing peace initiatives.
They stressed that it was high time the central government spelt out loud and clear whether there was ceasefire in Naga areas of Assam and Arunachal Pradesh, and accordingly they would deem these areas as conflict zones if so desired.