UNPO, GNF Call on UN to Press India on Indigenous Recognition, AFSPA Repeal, and Border Fencing in Naga Areas

Nieves Cancela, Global Advocacy Officer, addressed the joint statement by the Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organization and the Global Naga Forum at the 6th Meeting of the 18th Session of the Expert Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (EMRIP). 

Distinguished Chair, Special Rapporteur, Experts and delegates,

Only two months ago, the Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organization (UNPO) addressed the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues on behalf of the Naga people, raising concerns about the silencing of human rights defenders in India and the protracted conflict between the indigenous Naga community and the Government of India.

Today, I speak once again as an UNPO representative on behalf of the Global Naga Forum, as Naga human rights defenders continue to face travel bans and restrictions that have prevented them from attending this session. Their absence reflects the systemic barriers they face not only in participating in international forums such as this, but also in exercising their fundamental rights at home — including the right to maintain and develop their traditional economies, which are intimately tied to their identity, governance, and land.

The Nagas, living across India, Myanmar, and China, possess a unique history and identity, deeply tied to their ancestral lands and traditional governance systems. This was recognized by the Government of India in 2002 and the 2015 Framework Agreement. Despite this, the Indo-Naga peace process remains stalled. The Framework Agreement remains unimplemented, and the Naga people continue to live under the shadow of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act, which fosters impunity and has led to grave human rights violations, as tragically illustrated by the Oting massacre in 2021.

Also read | Nieves Cancela Advocates for Naga People at UN Indigenous Forum

This protracted conflict also has direct consequences for the Naga people’s traditional economies. As highlighted in EMRIP’s report, traditional economies are not merely systems of livelihood. They are rooted in ancestral land, kinship networks, cultural heritage and self-governance. Yet these very foundations are under assault for the Naga people across all four Indian states they inhabit: Nagaland, Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, and Manipur.

The construction of the border fence between India and Myanmar has dismantled the Freedom of Movement Regime, severing kinship ties, disrupting trade, limiting access to farmland, undermining sociocultural cohesion, and weakening intergenerational transmission of knowledge, directly contravening Articles 20, 26, and 32 of the UNDRIP.

Further compounding the problem is India’s refusal to legally recognize indigenous peoples, as rightly noted in the EMRIP’s report, undermining the application of international legal protections and blocking progress toward restoring traditional economies, governance systems, and cultural identity.

We respectfully urge the Expert Mechanism and UN member states to Call on the Government of India to:
          

1. Implement the 2015 Framework Agreement
2. To repeal the Armed Forces Special Powers Act;
3. To reinstate the Freedom of Movement Regime across the Indo-Myanmar border and initiate meaningful, community-based dialogue with Naga representatives and local communities to explore rights-based and cooperative alternatives to border fencing, and to ensure border management is conducted in consultation with those affected;
4. And, lastly, to formally recognize the distinct legal status of indigenous peoples in India, in line with international human rights standards.

Also read | AIPP Condemns Repeated Arbitrary Travel Restrictions and Harassment imposed on Neingulo Krome

The Naga people remain willing to engage in dialogue, and to work constructively with the Government of India to achieve a peaceful and just resolution that honors their dignity and heritage. We urge this forum and its member states to support their aspirations for peace, justice, and self-determination.

Item 5 (continued): United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples: Interactive dialogue with UNPFII, the Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, and the UN Voluntary Fund for Indigenous Peoples and members of the United Nations Treaty Bodies