New Delhi: Myanmar state counsellor and the president of the National League for Democracy (NLD), Aung San Suu Kyi visited the Naga areas in that country’s Sagaing division this week. Suu Kyi previously visited the region in 2014.
Her visit to the self-administered Naga areas holds particular importance since the Myanmarese army took control of the headquarters of the Nationalist Socialist Council of Nagaland-Khaplang (NSCN-K) situated in Ta Ga area of the division in end January.
NSCN-K, which seeks to unite the Naga-inhabited areas in Myanmar and India and controls the Naga-dominated stretch of the former country, recently saw a split. Following this, the top Naga leaders of Indian origin returned to Nagaland and have since reportedly joined the peace talks the Modi government has been pursuing with the NSCN (Isak-Muivah) faction since 2015, and with six other political groups since 2017.
Recently, the Centre’s interlocutor and deputy National Security Advisor, R.N. Ravi said the Naga peace talks “are in concluding stage”.
Several media reports stated the Myanmar army took the decision to take over the NSCN-K headquarters due to its refusal to flush out the area of militants belonging to banned armed groups, including the United Liberation Front of Asom (Independent) and National Democratic Front of Bodoland (Songbijit).
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Dimapur-based media reports quoting army sources said a gun battle took place on past February 2 between ULFA (I) and the Myanmar army in which one cadre of the outfit was killed and another nabbed.
According to Myanmarese media reports, Suu Kyi, during her two-day visit starting March 6, covered the Kani and Homain townships of the Sagaing division and the Lahe town in the Naga self-administered zone. The NLD chief also visited Thamanti in upper Sagaing. Throughout her visit, she met common people and student bodies besides interacting with local officials.
According to a MyanmarTV (MiTV) report, Suu Kyi, chairperson of the Central Committee for Development of Border Areas, landed at the Khamti Airport in the presence of Sagaing chief minister among others and thereafter interacted with civil society representatives.
“The residents reported on a series of matters including confiscated lands, assistance for promotion of Naga culture and tradition, law enforcement and electricity. The Union ministers, Sagaing Region chief minister and many other officials explained about the ways to tackle the matters. The State Counsellor urged the officials to tackle the confiscated land issue,” MITV said.
Among the civil society groups that met her was Khamti-based Naga Students Organisation (NSO). In a memorandum submitted to her, the NSO reportedly said, “Indeed your coming here is a historic visit that goes down in the first chapter of our history.” It urged the NLD chief to “understand the Naga history” and “brokenness (separation) of the Nagas as (an) ‘international’ (issue) since the Nagas are living in two mighty nations – Myanmar and India.”
After visiting the Khamti general hospital, Syu Ki drove off to Lahe, the headquarters of NSCN-K before it was moved to Ta Ga. Importantly, she shared with the people there the government’s plan to begin employment of local residents, construction of a road from Lahe to Yangon besides establishing a Naga trade zone and a Naga traditional museum at government expense at Lahe. She also provided “cash assistance” of Rs 20 million kyats to the administration for regional development and food supply.
Suu Kyi also paid a visit to Monywa, the largest city in Sagaing, and addressed a public meeting at the Town Hall. It was her first visit to that township in 32 years.
Media reports said she was slated to visit Tamu too but had to abandon the idea due to bad weather.
Tamu, also situated in the Sagaing Division, shares border with the Indian state of Manipur. Contiguous to the Moreh town of Manipur, Tamu is an important commercial hub of cross-border traffic and trade between the two nations.