Short Note: Myanmar NSCN-K Ceasefire Pact

India has asked Myanmar to revoke its ceasefire pact with the National Socialist Council of Nagaland-Khaplang (NSCN-K).

What India wants?

NSCN-K has a ceasefire agreement with Myanmar. India has requested Myanmar to revoke this ceasefire agreement and hand over the leaders of the outfit to it.

Apart from NSCN-K, a host of other insurgent groups are also operating their camps from Myanmar. The outfits have formed a network on both sides of Indo-Myanmar border and are engaged in anti-India activities. India wants an assurance from the Myanmar government that it would destroy the camps of these insurgent groups. During an earlier meeting, India had already shared a list of over 20 such insurgent groups operating in Myanmar. However, back then the Myanmar government had denied the existence of any insurgent camps on its territory.

Background

In 2015, the NSCN-K was banned by India for carrying out various attacks against Indian armed forces. In March 2015, NSCN-K unilaterally abrogated ceasefire. It carried out attack on an Army convoy on June 4 in Manipur where 18 Army men were killed.

NSCN-K patriarch S.S. Khaplang had died on June 6. He was India’s most wanted terrorist. After his demise, vice-chairman of the NSCN-K, Khango Konyak has been elected as the new chief of the banned outfit.

Naga Peace Accord of 2015 was signed between the National Socialist Council of Nagalim-Isak-Muivah [NSCN (IM)] and the Government of India on August 3, 2015. As per this accord, NSCN-IM has accepted to alter goals from complete sovereignty. The framework had agreed to grant greater autonomy to the Naga inhabited areas outside of Nagaland through the establishment of autonomous district councils.
In June 2017, the home ministry had constituted a panel headed by Rina Mitra to examine methods to curb the misuse of free movement along the Myanmar border. The panel has found that trans-border criminals and militants entered India, committed crimes and escaped easily to their hideouts.

India and Myanmar share an unfenced border of 1,643 km. it runs across Arunachal Pradesh (520 km), Nagaland (215 km), Manipur (398 km) and Mizoram (510 km). As per the present terms, a ‘free movement’ of people is permitted up to 16 km across the border.

National Socialist Council of Nagaland-Khaplang (NSCN-K)

• NSCN-K is a banned terrorist outfit that carries out an armed struggle to establish a People’s Republic of Nagaland.
• It wants to create a Great Nagaland comprising of the Naga dominated areas. The outfit does not recognise the Shillong Acord of 1975 signed by the then NNC (Naga National Council) with the government of India.
• The outfit is very active in eastern parts of Nagaland, Changlang district of Arunachal Pradesh and Myanmar.