RPP raises alarm over NSCN-K (Yung Aung)’s Claim of Naga Youth Conscription by Burmese Army

Ukhrul: The NSCN-K (Yung Aung) has raised concerns over the alleged conscription of Naga youths by the Burmese army in Myanmar. This claim has sparked alarm within the Naga community, amid the ongoing civil war and political turmoil in Burma, Rising People’s Party stated in a press release issued on Saturday.

The situation, while alarming, has been attributed to the short-sighted Naga policy in Burma, according to a statement from the Rising People’s Party (RPP). The RPP has scrutinized the Naga policy in Burma and expressed that the current scenario was inevitable due to certain factors.

Check this | Prof. A Bimol Akoijam and Alfred K Arthur INC candidates for Manipur Lok Sabha Constituencies

The RPP further stated that some NSCN factions in Burma and Nagaland have developed a tacit understanding with the military Junta, a move that diverges from the broader Pro-Democracy Forces (PDF) in Burma. At a time when various ethnic groups, including the majority Burmans, are aligned with the PDF against the Junta, the Naga armed factions’ collaboration with the Junta is concerning.

This short-sighted approach, as highlighted by the RPP, poses a significant risk. If the PDF succeeds in the civil war in Burma, the Naga factions aligned with the Junta may find themselves sidelined or marginalized in the future federal structure of Burma due to their anti-PDF stance.

Check this | Miscalculations on India-Myanmar Border Fencing will result in a self-inflicted wound against national interests

The RPP also shed light on the Junta’s activities, noting that a census of men and women in Naga Self-Administered Zone and other Naga-inhabited areas has been conducted, hinting at the possibility of forced conscription in the near future.

The RPP emphasized the urgent need for Naga Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) and armed groups to formulate a national vision for Burmese Nagas, in the context of the ongoing civil war. The RPP urged the 24 Naga Political Groups (NPGs) stationed in Nagaland to clarify their policy regarding the Nagas in Burma and take concrete steps to address their existential crisis.

Must read | BJP Party Office Vandalized in Manipur’s Senapati District

“The Burmese Nagas are possibly facing the worst times akin to what Nagas in India faced during the 1950’s, 60’s and 70’s. When the Burmese Nagas have already sacrificed so much for the Naga national struggle, what is the stand of the 24 NPGs regarding these people? Should the national struggle be reduced to taxing the common man in Nagaland to the point of exhaustion, or should the NPGs do something concrete for the aspirations of a forgotten people during their time of existential crisis?” the press release added.

Also read | COCOMI and IPSA VP Khuraijam Athouba Delivers Intervention at UN Human Rights Council