Nagaland: Naga armed groups in Burma align with Junta, claims Rising People's Party

In a recent development, the Rising People's Party of Nagaland has stated that Naga armed groups in Burma have decided to align with the Junta. 

In a press statement, the RPP mentioned that the claim of the NSCN-K (Yung Aung) that the Burmese army is going to conscript Naga youths in Burma is alarming. 

It has come to the knowledge of the RPP that some few NSCN factions in Burma and Nagaland have a tacit understanding with the military Junta.
 
"At a time when the entire ethnic people including the majority Burmans are with the Pro-Democracy Forces (PDF) fighting the Junta, the Nagas in Burma have lost their national vision. Instead of strengthening the PDF - like the Chins, Shans, Kachins and other ethnic groups have done, it’s alarming that the Naga armed factions in Burma have chosen to side with the Junta," stated the RPP.

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The Party suggests that the Nagas' stance against the PDF could have negative repercussions. The Junta has reportedly conducted a census in the Naga Self-Administered Zone and other Naga-inhabited areas, indicating that forced conscription may be imminent. 

"The danger with this short-sighted approach is that when the PDF eventually wins the civil war in Burma, the Nagas with their zero contribution – or a rather anti-PDF stand - will be inevitably sidelined or marginalized when the future federal structure of Burma eventually materializes. It has been brought to light that the Junta has already taken a census of men and women in the Naga Self-Administered Zone and other Naga-inhabited areas, and that forced conscription is only a matter of time. The Burmese Nagas are in a dire situation and it’s imperative that Naga CSOs and armed groups formulate a national vision for Burmese Nagas against the context of civil war in that country," mentions the release.

The Party also questions the policy of the 24 NPGs stationed in Nagaland towards the Burmese Nagas, who are facing a situation similar to what Indian Nagas experienced in the 1950s, 60s, and 70s. The Party calls for the NPGs to take action for the Burmese Nagas, who have already made significant sacrifices for the Naga national struggle, rather than taxing the common man in Nagaland.