The Global Naga Forum (GNF) highlighted the urgent need for unwavering solidarity and action to address the exploitation and suppression of the Naga people at the 23rd Session of the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues at the UN Headquarters in New York, United States of America on 19th April 2024. The session commenced on 15th April and will conclude on 26th Aril 2024

General Secretary of GNF, James Pochury spoke at the UNPFII for the Naga people raising the connected issues of the abrogation of Free Movement Regime along the Indo-Myanmar border by the Government of India, decision to fence the border and the ‘draconian’ Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA).

Following is the unedited statement from The Global Naga Forum on this address.

Agenda Item 3: Enhancing Indigenous Peoples’ right to self-determination in the context of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples: emphasizing the voices of Indigenous youth.

In addressing Agenda Item 3, The Global Naga Forum (GNF) confronts the persistent exploitation and suppression endured by the Naga people, highlighting the urgent need for unwavering solidarity and action.

The United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP), heralded as a beacon of hope, has is failing to shield the Nagas from the relentless onslaught of oppressive regimes. Fr over 16 years, these hollow promises have mocked the enduring struggle of the Nagas for self-determination.

The ancestral homeland of the Nagas, steeped in millennia of history, has been ruthlessly dissected by arbitrary international borders imposed by colonial powers. Since the birth of the Indian and Myanmar/Burmese nation-states in 1947, the Nagas have been subjected to relentless division and displacement, their unity fractured by geopolitical machinations.

The recent decision by the Indian government to annul the Freedom of Movement Regime (FMR) agreement with Myanmar and erect a draconian border fence epitomizes the callous disregard for indigenous rights. This abominable act not only erects physical barriers but also criminalizes the very essence of Naga existence, severing familial ties and cultural bonds.

Under the guise of national security, the Indian armed forces, fortified by draconian laws like the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA), perpetrate unspeakable atrocities on the Naga people.

The militarization of Naga lands, dating back to the mid-1950s, has transformed the region into a veritable war zone, where the cries of the oppressed are drowned out by the thunder of gunfire.

The voices of Naga youth, brimming with righteous indignation, cry out in social media and solidarity walks. Yet, their aspirations are stifled by systemic inequality and institutionalized discrimination.

Denied access to education and economic opportunities, the youth languish in a perpetual state of disenchantment, their dreams shattered by the iron grip of oppression.

In this backdrop, the Global Naga Forum (GNF) implores the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues to heed our plea for justice and liberation. We demand:

1. The preservation and expansion of the Freedom of Movement Regime (FMR) agreement between India and Myanmar, allowing the Nagas to traverse their ancestral lands unhindered and reconnect with their relatives across artificial borders.

2. The immediate cessation of plans to construct a border fence, a sinister symbol of division and subjugation that threatens to fragment and divide Naga communities further.

3. The repeal of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA), a draconian law that serves as a license for the Indian armed forces to commit egregious human rights violations withi mpunity on Naga soil.

4. The expeditious conclusion of Indo-Naga political negotiations, based on the principles of equality, mutual respect, and recognition of Naga sovereignty, to address the longstanding grievances and aspirations of the Naga people.

The time for platitudes and empty rhetoric has long passed. The Nagas, battered and bruised by decades of oppression, stand united in their quest for freedom and dignity. It is incumbent upon the international community to stand in solidarity with our cause and champion the inherent rights of indigenous peoples.