Nagaland firing: Tribal bodies ask people not to cooperate with army
Top organisations of the Konyak tribe in Nagaland have announced a set of regulations, including "strict non-cooperation" with the army, saying the people will follow them until justice is served in the killing of 14 civilians by security forces in a botched up operation and its aftermath in the North-eastern state earlier this month. Thirteen of the 14 people killed in three episodes of firing by army personnel on December 4 and 5 belonged to the Konyak tribe, one of the major tribes of Nagaland.
Another leading tribal organisation on Tuesday demanded that those involved in the killing of the 14 civilians should be booked and tried in a civil court.
In a joint statement, the Konyak Union, the apex body of the tribe, Konyak Nyupuh Sheko Khong (mothers' organisation) and the Konyak Students Union asked the members of the tribe not to take part in any army recruitment rally and refrain from accepting any package or assistance from the military forces.
"Total restriction on Indian Military force convoy and patrolling on Konyak soil shall continue until justice is delivered to those 14 innocent Konyak youths" who were killed, the statement said. The Konyak bodies also directed all customary landowners to immediately denounce past land agreements for setting up army base camps within their jurisdiction.
The Konyak bodies urged citizens to refrain from taking part in merrymaking such as open picnics in Mon district. However, pre-scheduled programmes like weddings and church events were allowed. They also demanded that the state government take responsibility for medical treatment and security of the two persons, survivors of the firing on December 4. They are undergoing treatment in a hospital in Assam.
A public rally will be held in Mon district on December 16, according to the statement issued on Monday after a seven-day mourning period is over. The statement said black flags would be hoisted in every vehicle and black badges worn by all till justice is delivered. Altogether 14 civilians in Nagaland’s Mon district were killed in three consecutive episodes of firing by security forces, the first of which has been claimed to be a case of mistaken identity.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah had told the Lok Sabha the army had received information on the movement of insurgents in Mon and ’21 Para Commando’ unit had laid an ambush. “A vehicle was signalled to stop but it tried to speed away. Suspecting the presence of insurgents in the vehicle, the security personnel opened fire, leading to the death of six of its eight occupants,” Shah said.
Eight others, including an army man, were killed in subsequent clashes between the force and villagers. Regretting the death of the civilians, he had said security forces fired in self-defence. However, several political parties have contested the government version that the vehicle was asked to stop.
The Eastern Nagaland Peoples’ Organisation (ENPO), the apex body of the tribal organisations of the area, on Tuesday demanded that the Union home minister should withdraw his statement that security forces fired in self-defence in Mon district on December 4. It also demanded that the army men who were involved in the killing of the 14 civilians should be booked and tried in a civil court.
The ENPO, in a statement, sought revocation of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA), 1958 from the entire North-eastern region, describing it as "draconian". Civil society organisations of five districts - Mon, Tuensang, Longleng, Kiphire and Noklak - said people will not take part in "national celebrations" as part of the non-cooperation agitation with the army. The decision was made at a meeting convened by the ENPO at Longleng town on Tuesday. The ENPO also asked the state government to immediately set up the Nagaland State Human Rights Commission.
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