UNPO Demands Repeal of AFSPA, Justice for Nagas at UN Indigenous Rights Body

On 16th July 2025, UNPO, in collaboration with the Global Naga Forum, raised serious concerns about the continued human rights violations and systemic marginalization of the Naga people during the 18th session of the United Nations Expert Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (EMRIP) in Geneva.

Building on its previous intervention at the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues earlier this year, UNPO addressed the Expert Mechanism under Item 5 of the agenda “The implementation of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) with a focus on traditional economies”.

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Speaking on behalf of the and the Naga people, UNPO emphasized that these travel restrictions reflect broader systemic efforts to silence Naga voices, both domestically and internationally. The statement drew attention to the unresolved Indo-Naga conflict and the Indian government’s failure to implement the 2015 Framework Agreement, which was meant to recognize the Nagas’ unique history, identity, and governance systems.

UNPO also condemned the ongoing application of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) in Naga-inhabited areas, which perpetuates impunity for human rights violations — most notably illustrated by the Oting massacre in 2021, which received wider media coverage than the ones before it.

Importantly, the statement highlighted that the Nagas, who inhabit both Myanmar-occupied regions and all four Indian-occupied states of Nagaland, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, and Assam, face attacks on the very foundations of their way of life. This includes assaults on their traditional economies, which are deeply rooted in ancestral lands, kinship networks, cultural heritage, and systems of self-governance.

The militarization of Naga territories through the AFSPA, combined with the construction of the Indo-Myanmar border fence and the dismantling of the Freedom of Movement Regime have undermined not only livelihoods but also social cohesion, cultural continuity, and intergenerational knowledge transmission. The fencing and restriction of cross-border movement has severed kinship ties, blocked access to farmlands, and dismantled local trade, directly contravening Articles 20, 26 and 23 of the UNDRIP.

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To address these urgent issues, UNPO and the Global Naga Forum called on the Government of India to:

1. Fully implement the 2015 Framework Agreement;
2. Repeal the Armed Forces Special Powers Act;
3. Reinstate the Free Movement Regime along the Indo-Myanmar border and pursue community-based, rights-respecting alternatives to border fencing in consultation with affected Naga communities; and
4. Formally recognize the distinct legal status of indigenous peoples in India, consistent with international human rights standards.

UNPO reaffirmed that the Naga people remain committed to dialogue and to working constructively toward a just and peaceful resolution; one that respects their dignity, heritage, and self-determination.

Through this intervention, UNPO urged the Expert Mechanism and UN Member States to support the Naga people in their ongoing struggle for peace, justice, and the protection of their fundamental rights.

(This is the official press release of UNPO, issued on July 24, 2025)