Tripartite peace talks between the Centre, Meghalaya government and the outlawed Hynniewtrep National Liberation Council (HNLC) began at Umiam near here on Saturday amidst demands by the organisation for amnesty for its cadres.

Officials said A K Mishra and Peter Dkhar are the Centre’s interlocutors, while Ronnie Wahlang is participating the talks on behalf of the state. HNLC is being represented by Sadon Blah.

The talks were “positive”, Blah said.

He said the HNLC has demanded the withdrawal of all charges against its cadres to pave the way for successful talks.

“The general amnesty demanded includes withdrawal of all cases against the cadres, including a case against four top HNLC leaders who have been charge sheeted by the NIA … The general amnesty will pave the way for the peace negotiations to move forward,” Blah told PTI.

HNLC vice-chairman Manbha Rynjah said that the general amnesty, if granted, will create an “atmosphere of trust” between its cadres and the central and state governments.

“Before the talks proceed further in the weeks and months ahead, we want the government to come clean on this. We want peace,” he said.

Rynjah cited the case of Ranjan Daimary, the founder president of armed separatist outfit National Democratic Front of Boroland, who was chargesheeted by the CBI in a 2008 serial blast case in lower Assam after the organisation signed a similar peace agreement in 2020 and was ordered a life sentence by Gauhati High Court in 2022.

“We hope that the government will respond via the interlocutors very soon to enable us to progress to the next level of talks,” he said.

Since the formation of HNLC almost three decades ago, the outfit has been responsible for armed attacks, IED blasts and other unlawful activities which included injuring and killing hundreds of civilians and armed personnel in the Khasi-Jaintia Hills region.

The NIA had in August 2022, filed a charge sheet against four HNLC members for detonating a bomb at the premises of a cement factory in East Jaintia Hills district for the company’s failure to meet its extortion demand. The bomb had blasted at the factory in December 2020 and the NIA registered the case in March 2021. Among the four persons named in the charge sheet three are residents of Moulvibazar district of Bangladesh – the chairman, general and finance secretaries of HNLC.

Officials said over 30 active cadres of HNLC will join the peace process.