The Indian government and the National Socialist Council of Nagalim (Isak-Muivah) have agreed to extend the ceasefire in Nagaland by one more year from August 1, 2000. This follows a meeting between the former Union Home Secretary K Padmanabhaiah, the key Indian interlocutor for the talks, and Isak Chishi Swu, the NSCN(IM) Chairman, on July 29 and 30 in Bangkok.

TEXT OF THE AGREEMENT:

Chairman
NATIONAL SOCIALIST COUNCIL OF NAGALIM
Dated Oking: 1 August 2000

JOINT STATEMENT

In continuation of the ongoing peace process, a meeting was held on 29 and 30 July 2000 in Bangkok between the Representatives of the Government of India and the NSCN, and the following are mutually agreed upon:

1. That the cease-fire agreement is between the Government of India and the NSCN as two entities.
2. That it has been decided to further extend the cease-fire for a period of one year with effect from 1 August 2000.
3. That the Government of India and the NSCN have decided to move forward with the peace process to bring about a lasting political solution to the Indo-Naga issue. It is felt that there is a need for mutual trust.
4. That the agreed ground rules shall be implemented during the current cease-fire period in their letter and spirit.
Sd/-
(ISAK CHISHI SWU)

The run-up to the signing of the agreement to extend the ceasefire by one year in 1999 could not have been more ominous. The chief interlocutor of the Indian side, Swaraj Kaushal, made an unceremonious exit from the scenario. Kaushal had been in constant touch with the leaders of the National Socialist Council of Nagalim (NSCN), Isak Chishi Swu and Thuingaleng Muivah, but left things hanging fire. Quite literally at that. On that occasion, Muivah had told this writer (see Northeast Vigil issue no. 1.03 dated August 1, 1999: http://nevigil.freeservers.com/01081999f.htm) that though "it would be unfortunate to miss him", his exit "should not harm the peace process". The NSCN general secretary had expressed dismay at the constant changes in government as well as negotiators. Though such changes worth the mention have hardly taken place in the past one year, nothing concrete on the "real talks" front has happened either.

Following a meeting between the Indian Prime Minister's special emissary Padmanabhaiah and Intelligence Bureau director Shyamal Dutta in Amsterdam, the two sides agreed to extend the ceasefire till Jul 31, 2000. Around the same time as preparations were on to ensure that the guns remained silent in the Naga Hills for 12 more months, the Grand Old Man of the Naga insurrectionist movement, Khodao Yanthan returned to his homeland after a self-imposed exile in London. Yanthan, a close associate of Angami Zapu Phizo, had severed ties with the faction of the almost-defunct Naga National Council (NNC) led by Phizo's daughter, Adino, a few years earlier and joined Swu-Muivah as the NSCN vice-chairman.

Ceasefire or not, the guns did not fall silent. Fratricidal clashes between the Swu-Muivah and Khaplang factions of the NSCN carried on. The NSCN(K) General Secretary Dali Mungro and two of his aides were gunned down by NSCN(IM) rivals on the night of August 18. Matters were on the verge of spilling out of control. The NSCN(K) retaliation, however, never came. The NSCN(IM) did not wash its hands off the killing, and went to the extent of saying that Mungro had been eliminated since he was conspiring to assassinate Swu and Muivah. Till the other day, only lower levels cadres had been falling to the each others' bullets. With the assassination of the Prime Minister of the former, the latter had ensured that the circle had come full after 11 years. It all began with the abortive bid on the life of the then General Secretary of the undivided NSCN - Muivah (see Northeast Vigil issue no. 1.06 dated August 22, 1999: http://nevigil.freeservers.com/22081999f.htm).

The pyrrhic, intermittent clashes continued. So did the furore over the Mungro killing. Next came the allegations. In September, for the first time, Muivah came out with a statement insisting that the Indian government was desperately trying to invent a pretext to abandon the peace process and shift the blame on the NSCN. He warned the Centre that it should desist from "concoting false information and spreading mischievous propaganda." He said the ceasefire was purely between the Centre and the NSCN and not with the 'puppet government' of Nagaland. The Indian government, for its part, extended suspension of Army operations against the NSCN(K) for six more months with effect from October 16, but issued warning to the IM group against violations of ceasefire rules.

The two truces did not ameliorate the situation. The NSCN(IM) "arrested" four officebearers of the apex Ao tribal body, Ao Senden, in October. It wanted the Senden to revoke its resolution restricting the movement of armed cadres with uniforms. The Senden had, in September, resolved that it would not allow the movement of armed cadres from any underground organisation in populated villages, and urged them to leave the villages under the Mokokchung to ensure peace and tranquillity in the district which witnessed a series of factional clashes in past three months. The NSCN(K) wields considerable influence in the Ao-dominated district. This issue, however, did not snowball into a major inter-tribe conflagration. Mungro, incidentally, was an Ao. And when the Lok Sabha polls came, the NSCN(IM)'s call for boycott in Manipur had a marginal effect. Some voted, some did not. In the bargain the Kuki candidate of the Nationalist Congress Party won at the hustings.

The next hiccup for the peace talks were to come on November 29 when Nagaland Chief Minister SC Jamir miraculously escaped an attempt on his life when suspected militants blew up three vehicles of his convoy and killed two policemen near Kohima. Jamir escaped unhurt, and was taken to a security force camp from where he was flown back to Kohima by helicopter. As many as 14 improvised explosive devices (IEDs), planted in the hills running along the highway, were detonated one after another by remote control. Then followed an encounter which continued for almost three quarters of an hour between the escorting police party and the militants. The NSCN(IM) was quick to disclaim any responsibility for the attack. But after three unsuccessful bids on Jamir's life earlier, no one was willing to believe the organisation. Jamir called the ceasefire as a "licence to kill".

The Centre was prompt in directing security forces in Nagaland to "come down heavily" on all violations of agreed ground rules of ceasefire with NSCN(IM), suspected to be behind the attempt on Jamir's life. Security forces launched house-to-house search operations in Dimapur. They closed down the NSCN(IM) liaison office in the town, set up under the ceasefire agreement in 1997, sealed its premises and moved out the cadres. Tension soared. Union Home Ministry officials said, "Over a period of time it was found that the premises of the monitoring cell were being misused and it had de facto become a centre of illegal activities such as extortion, kidnapping, intimidation and illegal sale of lottery tickets." A seemingly contradictory statement issued by the security forces said the step was not tantamount to the breakdown of the ceasefire monitoring of the Ceasefire Monitoring Group (CFMG) since regular meetings involving both the government and the NSCN (IM) representatives could be held at a mutually decided venue. Allegations and counter-accusations followed. The stalemate continued, but semblance of a cooldown came in January 2000 when Padmanabhaiah said the Centre was seriously considering lifting of the ban on NSCN and revocation of Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act in Nagaland.

If the ambush on Jamir was not good enough to derail the peace process, the arrest and subsequent re-arrest of Muivah in Bangkok in January this year almost did it. Muivah's organisation was alleged by an official spokesman to have been in cahoots with the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) of Pakistan. All of a sudden the NSCN(IM) had become the whipping boy for the Centre. Appeals from Indian intellectuals and Naga leaders to the Indian government to urge the Thailand government to release Muivah fell on deaf ears. Despite pressure from the Indian side, the organisation remained steadfast in asserting that without Muivah talks would not proceed. They did not. What did were the slanging match and occasional fratricidal clashes. On paper, the NSCN(IM) was all the more marginalised when the rival NSCN(K) announced a ceasefire with Indian security forces in April.

As NSCN(IM) cadres continued to be arrested by security forces for alleged violations of ceasefire regulations, Muivah's nephew Grinder Muivah was arrested in Calcutta on March 7, upon his arrival from Bangkok for plotting to hijack an aircraft at Aizawl airport in order to secure the release of the NSCN(IM) general secretary. A legal battle followed. The Mizoram government, which all along had wanted to nail the NSCN(IM) for operating in the state, could not substantiate its charges. Grinder was let off on June 21. Next, the Ceasefire Monitoring Group was reactivated in May.

And then came the extension of the ceasefire. Phew!

HAD he not become the leader of the National Socialist Council of Nagalim (NSCN), he would probably have been serving in a mission. The last time that negotiations were held between the Indian government and the Naga guerrillas in the late Sixties, playing a key role was a suave young man in his mid-30s. Thirty summers later, the same man was set to play a bigger role in the current negotiations. But the soft-spoken NSCN chairman, Isak Chishi Swu, has not had much to speak about -- real talks are yet to get under way. Not certainly with his long-time comrade-in-arms Thuingaleng Muivah, the NSCN general secretary, cooling his heels in a Thai prison and undergoing trial there. For the first time since Muivah's arrest, Swu speaks to Northeast Vigil editor, Subir Ghosh, on the issue.

Excerpts:

Northeast Vigil: What is the status of Mr Muivah's arrest now?
Isak Chishi Swu: Mr T Muivah has been sentenced for one year for entering Thailand with fake travelling documents.

Northeast Vigil: When will he be released?
Isak Chishi Swu: We do not know. Muivah's release entirely depends on the decision of the judges involved.

Northeast Vigil: What are you doing for his release? Who are the people helping you with his release?
Isak Chishi Swu: We are requesting the Thai government to release him soon. Many international organisations, including the United Nations Commission on Human Rights, have requested the Thai Prime Minister, Chief Justice and the Foreign Minister for his early release. A copy of an appeal letter made by our friends recently has already been sent to you.

Northeast Vigil: Have Indian leaders been helping you about his release?
Answer: Prominent Indian leaders, including three former Indian prime ministers and intellectuals like Mr Rajinder Sachar (former Chief Justice of Delhi High Court), Mr Surendra Mohan (former MP), Swami Agnivesh (Bonded Labour Liberation Front), and Mrs Nandita Haksar, are fully supporting us. So far, however, no Indian government officials have helped us.

Northeast Vigil: A number of Indian intellectuals had issued a statement asking the Indian government to intervene so that the talks do not get jeopardised. Have these intellectuals contacted you?
Isak Chishi Swu: Yes, they contacted me.

Northeast Vigil: There was a report some days back saying that some NSCN activists were planning ti hijack an Indian Airlines plane to secure Mr Muivah's release. Is it true?
Isak Chishi Swu: The allegation was absolutely fantastic, inasmuch as such idea was not even in our dreams. This baseless allegation was engineered through the Custom officers by the anti-national elements like SC Jamir to blackmail the NSCN and disturb the ongoing peace process.

Northeast Vigil: It is said that Mr Muivah was arrested on basis of a tip-off. Do you know who tipped of Thai police? Was it RAW? Was it SC Jamir? Was it ISI?
Isak Chishi Swu: It was learnt from a reliable source that the Indian intelligence agents tipped-off the Thai immigration officers.

Northeast Vigil: Why did Mr Muivah try to jump bail after being arrested once?
Isak Chishi Swu: He tried to jump bail in order to attend a meeting in Europe with the representatives of the Indian government. And, for your kind information, Mr Muivah did not jump bail after being arrested once: he was arrested on 19 January and released on bail on 26, and rearrested on 30 January.

Northeast Vigil: Is it not strange that Mr Muivah should be arrested in a country where he had been living for so many years?
Isak Chishi Swu: He was not living in Thailand. He used to visit the kingdom as a tourist from time to time.

Northeast Vigil: Mr Muivah was arrested after he landed from Karachi. Is NSCN still maintaining links with the Inter-Services Intelligence of Pakistan?
Isak Chishi Swu: The NSCN has no link with the ISI. In fact, we do not have any contact with it.

Northeast Vigil: It is said the NSCN has more faith in Pakistan than Bangladesh. Is it true?
Isak Chishi Swu: The NSCN has faith in all the neighbouring countries and there is no particular country with which we have a special relationship.

Northeast Vigil: When I met Mr Muivah last year in Nuiland, he had told me that you still have some links left with China. Are you getting in touch with China?
Isak Chishi Swu: We maintain friendly attitude towards all our neighbouring countries, including China.

Northeast Vigil: The talks with India have come to a pass and Mr Muivah had been one of the key negotiators. Do you think it was a ploy to have him removed from the talks so that Indians do not have to negotiate with a formidable enemy?
Isak Chishi Swu: We are interested in the peace process and we do not take the Indian government as an enemy. We do not know if, as some persons presume, they are making a ploy to remove Mr Muivah from the ongoing political negotiations.

Northeast Vigil: Do you think Mr Muivah has been made to be arrested to that Indians are able to divide the NSCN rank and file?
Isak Chishi Swu: I do not think the Indian government will be so childish to play such games in the course of the peace process.

Northeast Vigil: Are you keeping in touch with Mr Muivah?
Isak Chishi Swu: Yes, I am in touch with him regularly.

KOHIMA, July 17: The Chakhesang Public Organisation (CPO), an apex body of the Chakhesang tribe, has strongly advocated that unless the ceasefire is declared among the underground factions there is not much hope for the Nagas, reports UNI. In a recent interview, CPO president P Pusazo Luruo emphasised on the importance of honouring the ground rules of the ceasefire by the parties involved and cautioned that the Naga problem could not be solved by the ceasefire or political dialogue unless the internal bickerings were done away with." I feel this ceasefire will not bring any good result till Naga underground groups called for a ceasefire among themselves," he said. Blaming the Government of India for divisions among Nagas, Luruo said the Centre always preferred to talk with separate Naga underground organisations. He warned that piecemeal solution would never bring permanent solution to the vexed political problem and would rather complicate the process. Nagas have a separate political, historical, social and cultural background, Luruo said and added that they were not demanding independence but the Centre should recognise the historical rights of the Nagas. Regarding the 16-point agreement of 1960 by a few Naga leaders under the banner of the Naga Peoples Convention, which resulted in the statehood of Nagaland, he said the real mandate of the Nagas was given in the 1951 plebiscite, under the banner of the Naga National Council (NNC) for Naga sovereignty. (United News of India; The Assam Tribune; Guwahati; July 18, 2000)

GUWAHATI, July 18: The people of Nagaland are highly apprehensive as July 31 approaches. On that day, the three-year-long ceasefire between the Isak-Muivah faction of the NSCN and the Government of India expires. The common people are hoping against hope that it will be extended, as has been demanded by several representative and public organisations in the non-governmental sector. Keeping this in mind, the political affairs committee of the state cabinet has recommended that the Centre extend the ceasefire for another six months, subject to certain conditions. But the principal parties, the Government of India and the NSCN(IM), are playing a game of brinkmanship. The Union Home Ministry has said that it is in no hurry to extend the ceasefire. The NSCN(IM) has laid down a set of conditions for extending the ceasefire which the Home Ministry cannot accept, as also the state government of Nagaland. NGOs like the Nagaland Baptist Church Council (NBCC), the Naga Gaon Burrhas` Union (village headmen), Naga Ho Ho (apex body of tribal councils), Naga Mothers` Association (NMA) and the Naga Students` Federation (NSF) have called for an unconditional extension of the ceasefire beyond July 31 in the interests of peace. The political affairs committee of the Nagaland state cabinet also wants the ceasefire extended, but it wants a 'real ceasefire`, meaning that the NSCN(IM) has to stop all hostile activities against rival groups as well as activities 'detrimental` to civilians like extortion, robbery, kidnapping and threats. The state cabinet also wants the ceasefire to be extended to the NSCN(K) and the NNC/Federal groups. The NSCN(IM) is adamantly opposed to including its rival groups in the ceasefire agreement, as it believes it is the sole representative of the Naga cause. It also holds that the ceasefire applies only between its cadres and the Government of India's forces; all other actions by it against civilians, the state government and rival factions come under 'Naga internal affairs` and are excluded from the ambit of the ceasefire. Under this reasoning, the NSCN(IM) ambushed Chief Minister SC Jamir's convoy on November 29 last year, as a result of which two policemen died and the state government's position against the NSCN(IM) hardened. The NSCN(IM) has questioned the sincerity of the Government of India in carrying on the peace process and has said that there is no reason to extend it unless the latter takes note of certain issues. First, it wants the ceasefire to cover all Naga-inhabited areas, the so-called 'Nagalim,` including those in Manipur, Assam and Arunachal Pradesh. The present ceasefire covers only Nagaland state. It wants the government to release all NSCN(IM) personnel arrested and held in jail since the ceasefire began on August 1, 1997, to stop raiding the homes of NSCN personnel and the Naga people, to withdraw the Disturbed Areas Act from Naga-inhabited areas of Manipur and to withdraw all arrest warrants and cash rewards issued or announced by different state governments. The NSCN(IM) has also pointed out that extension of the ceasefire is meaningless if political talks cannot be held; and that meaningful talks cannot be held as its General Secretary Thuingaleng Muivah is currently in jail in Thailand. PD Shenoy, additional secretary in the Union Home Ministry, on the other hand, has said that the Centre has no immediate plans to extend the ceasefire with the NSCN(IM). A decision on this will be taken only after a committee appointed for the purpose revises the ceasefire ground rules, Shenoy said in New Delhi last week. Home ministry officials have also indicated that the Centre has taken serious note of the NSCN(IM)'s help to militant groups outside the ceasefire zone in recent months. The Centre is well aware, and concerned, about the NSCN(IM)'s help to groups like the United People's Democratic Solidarity (UPDS) and the Dima Halong Daogah (DHD) in Assam which have carried out a series of massacres of civilians and attacks on government servants in the last few months. This factor will play an important role in the Centre's decision on extending the ceasefire, Home Ministry sources said. (Utpal Bordoloi; Deccan Herald; Bangalore; July 19, 2000)

KOHIMA, July 16: Prominent organisations in Nagaland have urged both Centre and NSCN(IM) to extend the ongoing ceasefire, which expires on July 31, further while calling for steps to expedite the political talks to hammer out a solution to the problem, reports PTI. The Nagaland Baptist Church Council (NBCC), in a statement, appealed to the Centre and NSCN(IM) to extend the present tenure of ceasefire and called for maintenance of terms and conditions of truce by both sides. regarding the announcement by NSCN(K) that it wanted to have a formal ceasefire with the Union government, NBCC urged to implement ceasefire between the two at the earliest. The Naga Council and Gaonburhas' Union of Dimapur also appealed to the Centre and underground outfits to extend the ceasefire to bring about a permanent solution to the problem. NBCC, the apex church organisation, also said that undergrounds and security forces should help create a conducive atmosphere by immediately halting "unwarranted raid of houses, harassment of innocent people, fratricide and extortion". Both NBCC and Gaonburhas' Council also appealed to all underground groups to immediately stop factional fighting for larger interest of peace in the state. The call for ceasefire extension by the two prominent Nagaland organisations assumes significance in the wake of recent resolution passed by Nagaland Cabinet calling for extension of present ceasefire between Centre and NSCN(IM) for another six months. (Press Trust of India; The Assam Tribune; Guwahati; July 19, 2000)

KOHIMA, July 19: To break the stalemate over the ceasefire monitoring mechanism, the much awaited meeting of the Ceasefire Monitoring Group (CFMG) with the Centre and the National Socialist Council of Nagaland (IM) was held in a cordial atmosphere in Dimapur yesterday, reports UNI. The meeting has decided to open a ceasefire monitoring cell of the NSCN(IM) near Dimapur, official sources said today. CFMG chairman PD Shenoy, representatives of the Nagaland government, officials of the security forces and the leaders of the NSCN(IM) took part in the meeting which was described as vital for peace in the region. The meeting was held for three hours under a cordial and congenial atmosphere, official sources said. Both the parties, however, expressed resentment over the violation of ceasefire's ground rules and accused each other for the violation. (United News of India; The Assam Tribune; Guwahati; July 20, 2000)

GUWAHATI, July 20: After a gap of six months, a meeting of Ceasefire Monitoring Group (CFMG) was held on Tuesday at Dimapur in Nagaland in a heated atmosphere marked by trading of charges and counter-charges. The meeting was attended only by representatives of the Centre, including the Union Home Ministry and the Army, and the Isak- Muivah faction of the National Socialist Council of Nagaland (NSCN). The state government of Nagaland had withdrawn from the CFMG after the NSCN(IM) ambushed Chief Minister SC Jamir's convoy in November last year. The main purpose of the meeting, chaired by PD Shenoy, Additional Secretary in the Union Home Ministry, was to break the stalemate over the ceasefire monitoring mechanism after the ambush on Jamir and the subsequent closing down of the NSCN(IM)'s ceasefire monitoring cell in Dimapur by the Assam Rifles, a Union Home Ministry Force. When the cell was closed down, the Assam Rifles had said that it was being used by the NSCN(IM) for illegal purposes like holding 'kangaroo courts', issuing extortion notices and plotting killings and kidnappings. After heated debate, it was agreed that the NSCN(IM) would be allowed to once more open a ceasefire monitoring cell at Diphupar, about 6 km from Dimapur, for one year, but with the express provision that no activities in violation of the ceasefire be carried out in it. The NSCN(IM) on its part alleged that the security forces of the government had violated the ceasefire by raiding houses of its top brass. It also raised the issue of the killing of 12 of its cadres by Army troops near Bholapunji village in Assam's Cachar district on the night of July 11. According to the NSCN(IM), this 'violation` of the ceasefire took place in a ceasefire area; but the Union Home Ministry pointed out that Assam is not covered by the ceasefire and rejected the NSCN(IM) contention of ceasefire violation. The Union Home Ministry team at Tuesday's meeting also refused to commit anything on the extension of the current ceasefire which expires on July 31, saying this would be decided by their 'higher authorities'. The Nagaland Pradesh Congress Committee, meeting the same day, urged the Centre and the Naga underground groups to extend the ceasefire. (Deccan Herald News Service; Deccan Herald; Guwahati; July 21, 2000)

KOHIMA, July 20: Nagaland Pradesh Congress Committee (NPCC) has urged the Centre and Naga underground factions to extend the tenure of ongoing ceasefire in the state and declare unilateral truce among different factions to bring about sustainable peace in Nagaland, reports PTI. NPCC in its executive committee meeting here on Tuesday reviewed the present political situation in the state and resolved that to usher in real and sustainable peace, all underground factions should declare ceasefire among themselves. Favouring extension of ceasefire between the Centre and all the underground groups, the Pradesh Congress resolved to extend all "possible help and support' towards the peace efforts and creating a congenial atmosphere for political talks to hammer out a solution to the vexed Naga political problem, said a party release here on Wednesday. The executive meeting held at the residence of Chief Minister and NPCC president SC Jamir, expressed corner over unabated killings, extortions, intimidations, kidnappings, etc in the state. Referring to the controversies that errupted after its publication of a white paper entitled "Bedrock of Naga society" on 16-point agreement of 1960, the Pradesh Congress clarified that at no point of time the party had said the Naga political problem was resolved with the signing of the 1960 pact between the Centre and then Naga leaders. The 16-point agreement signed between the Centre and Naga People's Convention (NPC) under special circumstances at that point of time of Naga political history led to formation of Nagaland state in 1963. Defending the agreement, Congress maintained it bears fruits to the Nagas and the sole objective of the publication of the booklet was to invite "ideas and opinions so as to formulate acceptable and honourable solution to the vexed problem". "We have no other design or objective nor intention to sabotage the ongoing peace-talks between the Government of India and the NSCN(IM)," the release said. (Press Trust of India; The Assam Tribune; Guwahati; July 21, 2000)

NEW DELHI, July 21: The Centre has not taken any decision yet on extending the ceasefire with the National Socialist Council of Nagaland (IM), due to expire on July 31, but will permit the NSCN to open a ceasefire monitoring cell for a period of one year, a Home Ministry spokesman said here today, reports UNI. 'The decision on extending the ceasefire is yet to be taken," the spokesman said. He declined to comment when asked whether allowing opening of ceasefire monitoring cell for one year indicated that it would be extended. The decision was taken at a meeting at Dimapur, between a high-level central team and the NSCN(IM) on July 18. The three-hour meeting also discussed various allegations of ceasefire violations made by the security forces against the NSCN(IM) and also by NSCN(IM) against the security forces. The meeting was attended by Assam Rifles IG (North) Maj Gen RN Kapur, Nagaland home commissioner HK Khulu, deputy secretary, Union Home Ministry, Ajai vastav, Dimapur CRPF DIG RK Sharma and other senior security force officers. PD Shenoy, additional secretary, Home Ministry, was also present. The five-member NSCN delegation was headed by Phungting Shimrang. Shenoy also held discussions with various NGOs, including representatives of Naga People's Movement for Human Rights (NPMHR), Naga Students' Federation (NSF), Naga Hoho and church leaders on the subject of ceasefire. He also reviewed the implementation of various developmental schemes in Nagaland including those sanctioned under the non-lapsable pool of resources and the Prime Minister's development package. (United News of India; The Assam Tribune; Guwahati; July 22, 2000)

Situation one: Thuingaleng Muivah, the all-powerful general secretary of the National Socialist Council of Nagaland (NSCN(IM)) is in jail in Thailand since January. Situation two: The terms of the on-going ceasefire between the NSCN(IM) and the Indian government, first agreed upon in July 1997, come to an end on July 31. And K Padmanabhaiah, the Prime Minister's official negotiator in the Naga peace process, has said that it was time the NSCN(IM) deputed or delegated another person instead of Muivah so that the process could continue. Talks between the government and the NSCN(IM), in fact, have not taken place since November last year, though the two sides had agreed to meet, and were indeed meeting, at least once in three months. "The entire process has suffered a major setback due to Muivah's absence," remarked Padmanabhaiah, who was in Guwahati recently. "Given this situation, the NSCN(IM) should either nominate a new person to carry on the talks, or let the government know what it wants to be done," he added. Muivah was arrested in Thailand last January on charges of travelling with false travel documents. Though he was initially let out on bail, he was re-arrested while allegedly trying to flee Thailand. The next date of hearing for the case comes up on July 24, and there is little indication that he would be allowed to go free. In the meetings held between the two sides in New Delhi on May 25 and 26, the government expressed its "deep concern" at the continuing violation of the ceasefire by the NSCN(IM). Official documents relating to that meeting recorded that this had resulted in as many as 536 deaths. Of these, 165 persons lost their lives in inter-factional clashes, while 211 innocent civilians died in the crossfire. Also reported were 365 abductions and 456 extortion cases. This meeting, in which the government was represented by RD Kapur, special secretary (Northeast) in the union Home Ministry and the NSCN(IM) by V. Atem, also resolved to reactive the Cease Fire Monitoring Group (CFMG), which has remained inactive since the government ordered the NSCN(IM) to vacate the Monitoring Cell office at Dimapur on the night of November 29, 1999. The NSCN(IM) representative on his part also requested that a full-time chairperson be appointed for the CFMG. There were also suggestions from both sides regarding amendments to some ground rules for ceasefire, but these suggestions have been kept under wraps. But even as these discussions were on, the NSCN(IM) came out with what it termed as an "open letter to the Indian public", in which it recalled the proclamation of independence by the Nagas on August 14, 1947, as also the plebiscite of 1951, in which "99.9 per cent of the Nagas voted to be a sovereign state." "We are absolute strangers to each other even though we live next door to each other. There is also a wide chasm between us a chasm, which has been made by the Indian ruling classes and their agents. The only Indians we Nagas ever meet are the occupational forces, whether they be the Indian armed forces or the Indian bureaucrats. Indian media comes to our land under military escort. You only read biased reports about our people and us," says the three-page letter. It was through this letter that the NSCN(IM) also accused "your government" of not being sincere in its efforts to solve the Naga tangle. "There is a long history of betrayal of trust and promises made to the Nagas by the Indian government, which the people of India do not know," it added. The NSCN(IM) also outlined certain "obstacles" which have stood in the way of a political solution to the Indo-Naga conflict. These are: total insincerity on the part of Indian officials involved in the negotiation (Even the PM's emissary has no `real powers' to negotiate); intelligence agencies "which act beyond the rule of any law, got the Thai authorities to arrest our leader T Muivah by spreading false information... which has seriously jeopardised our faith in the sincerity of the Indian government"; the government's refusal to extend ceasefire to all Naga-inhabited areas of Nagaland, Manipur, Assam and Arunachal Pradesh; the role of SC Jamir, who issued an order stating that all NSCN members were liable to be arrested and the closing down of the Ceasefire Motoring Cell office at Dimapur. The letter concludes: "Despite this, we have come forward for peace talks... However, our patience is running out." This is followed by a list of alleged incidents of ceasefire violation by Indian armed forces, which add up to 149 since January 1998. Meanwhile, leaders of the Church, by far the most influential organisation in Nagaland, have blamed both the government as well as the NSCN(IM) for the stalemate. "Both the Indian government and the NSCN(IM) are to be blamed for their insincerity and unrealistic postures," Rev VK Nuh and Rev L Suohie Mhasi, two senior Church leaders who had played a pivotal role in bringing the two sides closer, recently remarked. Rev Nuh and Rev Mhasi, who recently went to Thailand to meet Muivah in jail, have even gone to the extent of saying that the NSCN(IM) alone cannot bring about a solution to the Naga impasse. "If they (the NSCN(IM)) leaders) can bring about a solution, nobody will oppose them. But till now, they refuse to make themselves amenable to the interests of the general public," they said. The roots of their frustration can be traced back to the fact that while the other NSCN faction headed by S.S. Khaplang has agreed to work together with Naga groups like the Naga National Council (NNC) towards peace, "the NSCN(IM) leaders have remained adamant". No doubt the NSCN(IM) is the most powerful Naga group, but "they will have to declare a cessation of hostilities with other factions," Rev Nuh and Rev Mhasi pointed out. Chief Minister SC Jamir has been also pressing the Centre to include all Naga groups in the peace process, more particularly the NSCN(K). But that looks like a distant dream. Because, while the government cannot afford to lose contact with the NSCN(IM) leadership, the latter's "open letter" has put it on record that "We pledge to honour our leaders' commitments to leave no stone unturned to save the hard-won peace process." And time is running out. (Samudra Gupta Kashyap; The Indian Express; New Delhi; July 25, 2000)

BANGKOK, July 24: Court Number 907 located in the Rachadapiseh area of the Thai capital is choc-a-bloc full. Thuingaleng Muivah, general secretary of the National Socialist Council of Nagalim (Isak-Muivah) - NSCN(IM), is about to be brought for trial. He is accused of entering Thailand on a forged, South Korean passport. When Muivah enters the courtroom escorted by a policeman, he is barefoot and in fetters. He holds up the steel chain connecting the wrought iron rings around his ankles with a piece of string so that he can walk without tripping. Muivah, who was always seen in dapper suits earlier, is in regulation prison uniform - thin, dark brown cotton shorts, tied with a drawstring and a lighter coloured, collarless prison shirt that barely reaches his waist. On the back of the shirt are printed large letters identifying him as a prisoner belonging to Zone One of the prison. He looks frail and keeps coughing. The only way one knows that his self-respect is still intact is when he smiles and waves out to people in the courtroom. It is painful to see a 66-year-old man, the main Naga interlocutor in the peace talks with the Government of India, being treated as a dreaded criminal. I have managed to sit on the bench behind him in the courtroom - the accused, in fetters, sit on the front row with their police escorts. I touch his arm and ask him, "How are you Mr Muivah?" He turns around, beams at me and shakes my hand enthusiastically. "How are you, my friend?" he asks. "Are you in good health" I ask him. "I am fine. I am fine," he replies and you know that he isn't. "I am honoured by the presence of so many friends here," he says, looking around. Muivah is clearly overwhelmed by the people who have gathered in the courtroom. It is filled with friends, relatives, Naga leaders and civil liberties activists. They have come to the hearing after issuing an appeal earlier in the morning to the governments of Thailand and India "to recognise Mr Muivah as an essential participant in the Indo-Naga peace negotiations and, therefore, endorse his immediate release from custody in the interests of peace and security in the region." While urging both Indian and the NSCN(IM) to extend the ceasefire agreement, which is coming to an end on July 31, they have also appealed to India "to urge for Mr Muivah's release from custody as a demonstration of their commitment to reaching a peaceful solution to the Indo-Naga conflict." Each one of them greets Muivah as he acknowledges their presence with a smile and a nod. Sitting in the courtroom is his comrade-in-arms, Isak Chishi Swu, the Chairman of NSCN(IM). He is flanked by Justice (retd) Rajinder Sachar, former Chief Justice of the Delhi High court, Surendra Mohan, a former MP and a socialist leader, and Nandita Haksar, a noted human rights lawyer. Swami Agnivesh of the Bonded Labour Liberation Front, in his flaming ochre robe and headgear, sits right behind them. Also in the courtroom are Menelao G Tzelios of the Organisation for the Protection of the Rights of Ethnic, Religious, Linguistic and other Minorities, Valentina Dolara of the Documentation Centre for Threatened People, Frank Welman of the Dutch group the Indigenous Council and a representative of the Burma Lawyers' Council, besides several NSCN members and 'ministers' of Muivah's underground government. As the Naga leader looks around, someone points to his wife, Pakahao Muivah, who has also come to the court but is so overwhelmed on seeing him that she can barely move or call out to him. As he waves to her, one can see that he has clearly reserved his best smile for her. Muivah has already been sentenced to one year's imprisonment for jumping bail. He was arrested on January 19 this year while travelling from Karachi to Bangkok on a South Korean passport. He was, however, released on bail only to be re-arrested on January 30 while trying to board a flight to Bonn via Amsterdam from the Hatyai airport in southern Thailand. He was to be in Bonn for the Naga peace talks with the Government of India, which were scheduled to take place in the German capital on January 31 and February 1. In the fake passport case, the Thai government had not been able to produce any witnesses up to now. However, this time they have managed to get the immigration officer, a sergeant in the Thai police, to take the witness stand. Before the cross-examination begins, Wasant Panich, the defence lawyer and a candidate to be on the National Human Rights Commission of Thailand, requests the judge that in consideration of Muivah's age and the minor nature of his crime he should be exempted from being put in fetters when he is brought to court. The judge asks him to make a special application to the jail superintendent. Muivah's lawyer tries to suggest in his cross-examination that those who travel on fake passports are either those with criminal intent or representatives of "national minorities" who do not recognise the sovereignty of the countries where they are situated. There should be a clear distinction made between the two, he suggests. Muivah is kept briefed of the court proceedings by an interpreter. The case will now go on hearings scheduled for August 22 and September 4. When the court adjourns, Muivah mingles with the crowd - with his police escort keeping a close watch. He hugs a friend, touches the cheek of a young NSCN activist and agrees to answer a few questions from journalists. (Bharat Bhushan; The Hindustan Times; New Delhi; July 25, 2000)

BANGKOK, July 25: If India tries to extend the ceasefire in Nagaland unilaterally, it will be only "to deceive the world," Thuingaleng Muivah, general secretary of the National Socialist Council of Nagalim (Isak-Muivah) -- NSCN(IM), tells me. "This is treacherous hypocrisy. India first violates the ceasefire agreement, kills our cadre and then there is talk of unilateral extension of the ceasefire. This is ridiculous," he says. We are talking to each other across two iron grills, separated by a one-foot corridor, in Visitors' Room Number Two of the Bangkok Remand Prison. There are nine such rooms in the Remand Prison where undertrials are kept and visitors can talk over an intercom to the prisoners they are visiting. The prison for undertrials is situated next to the forbidding-looking Ongprem Central Prison for convicts but is not necessarily a nicer place. Muivah has already had his clothes and shoes stolen by fellow prisoners once. Not having been able to talk to the Naga leader when he was being escorted from the courtroom yesterday, I had sought an appointment to interview him in prison. One of Muivah's relations escorts me to the prison. He is carrying food, bottled water, a few cans of Pepsi and fruit for the Naga leader. The food in the prison is apparently very bad and the restaurant inside the prison, where the undertrials can pay and eat better food than the regulation supply, is far too expensive. The 66-year-old Naga leader is lucky to have home-cooked food delivered to him every day, except on Saturdays and Sundays when visitors are not allowed. He is forced to eat in the prison restaurant on weekends. Muivah, who looks calmer than he did outside the Bangkok Criminal Court yesterday, is dressed today in a yellow T-shirt. "What does the T-shirt say?" I ask his relative, unable to make out the words printed on the fading T-shirt. "Manchester United," he jokes. It actually just says "Polo." There are five prisoners talking to their visitors at the same time and Muivah is forced to shout into the intercom, "No unilateral extension of ceasefire can be accepted by us. That was not in the agreement. We reject any extra interpretation of the agreement. We have never said that the ceasefire was only in the so-called Nagaland state, which is what India is claiming now. It applied to all the areas where our Naga people have been residing traditionally. How can we go back on what weagreed on in the first place? This is ridiculous." The ceasefire agreement between the Government of India and NSCN(IM), that was put in place in August 1997, is coming to an end on July 31. With Muivah in jail, there are grave doubts whether the Naga peace talks, which the ceasefire agreement was meant to facilitate, would be resumed in the near future. It is likely that the representatives of the Nagas and the Government of India would meet on July 28 and 29 to discuss the extension of the ceasefire agreement. But a ceasefire agreement that has been in place for three years and has not led to any political movement forward is unlikely to go down well with the NSCN(IM) cadre and the Naga people. Since he was the chief negotiator in the peace talks with India, had the Government of India done anything, even informally, to appeal to the Thai authorities to release him so that the ongoing Indo-Naga peace talks are not jeopardised? What would he like India to do to end his present predicament? "Well, it is up to India. I have nothing to say on this," he replied curtly. Now that he is in prison, why does he not nominate someone else to negotiate with India on his behalf so that the peace talks can continue? Is there no second-rung leadership in his organisation, I ask him. "That is not the point at all. It had been decided with several Prime Ministers of India that the talks would be at the highest level -- at the level of the Prime Ministers. This can not be changed now," Muivah replies, pointing to his own designation as the "Prime Minister" of what the NSCN(IM) calls the National Socialist Republic of Nagaland. However, the Naga leader also seemed to hold out an olive branch by saying, "If the Government of India honours the ceasefire agreement and its area of coverage, then we will keep talking." What had he done to make the Naga peace process more transparent and accountable -- not only to his own organisation but to the Naga people? "When Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee told us in Paris in September 1998 that violence is ruled out and that the use of arms is ruled out in solving the Naga problem, we were very happy. We are committed to the peace process. The Naga people have been informed of this. But, to our surprise, we find that there is more violence now. Our people are being killed. So the Naga people are becoming sceptical of Indian promises," he replies. The Naga leader was arrested in Bangkok while coming from Karachi. What was he doing in Pakistan? Is he not aware of Indian sensitivities on this issue, I ask him? "Don't make a big thing out of it. We have not received even a penny's worth of help from Pakistan. I can go anywhere I like but India should look at our sincerity about the peace process. When there was fighting in Kargil with Pakistan, did we take any advantage of the situation? We did not. India should understand this. We are sorry that India does understand our sincerity," the Naga leader laments. Tell the people of India, he says, "We do not hate them. We have great respect for Mahatma Gandhi who had assured the Nagas that they had every right to be independent. We still admire his integrity and commitment. We honour PV Narasimha Rao who initiated the peace process. I would urge the Indian people to understand the true nature of the Naga issue. If they do so, then a solution can be found. Please remember that no innocent Indian has been killed by us." When I ask him whether he thought that the Naga problem would be solved in his lifetime, Muivah pauses a bit and then says, "Well, we are prepared to solve it. However, if there is no sincerity then the problem cannot be solved even in the next one hundred years. Today the Indian Prime Minister is in the grip of Hindu fundamentalists and is not prepared to solve the Naga problem. The aim seems to be to divide the Nagas and then crush them." A loud bell announces that our time is up. I bid good-bye to the ageing Naga leader. "Come back again and meet me," he shouts. "I will but I hope you will be free by then and participating in the peace talks. It is no good meeting in prison," I tell him. (Bharat Bhushan; The Hindustan Times; New Delhi; July 26, 2000)

SHILLONG, July 25: In a major breakthrough, the Meghalaya Police arrested a hardcore National Socialist Council of Nagaland (IM) ultra at Jingkieng Nongshiliang here on Monday, reports UNI. The arrested militant, identified as Momba Moa, claimed to be a sergeant major in the NSCN(IM) and the commander-in-charge of operations in Shillong, police said on Tuesday. A .32 Chinese-made pistol with two magazines, 7 live bullets, two Chinese-made hand-grenades and several incriminating documents were seized from his possession. According to police, Moa, who was wanted in connection with several criminal cases, had confessed his involvement in the shootout incident near Nagaland House here last year, in which a police constable was killed. Moa also confessed that he and his accomplices had looted Rs 3 lakh from a Marwari businessman at Garikhana in the city last year. (United News of India; The Assam Tribune; Guwahati; July 26, 2000)

GUWAHATI, July 25: The council of "kilonsers" (ministers) of the National Socialist Council of Nagalim has recommended extension of the ongoing ceasefire with the Centre. The ceasefire expires on 31 July. A Union Home Ministry official told The statesman over the telephone from Delhi this evening that the recommendation was made to the "Tatar Ho Ho" (NSCN parliament) following a meeting of the "kilonsers" at Dimapur yesterday. The government is willing to extend the ceasefire. "If the NSCN agrees, then it can be done," the official said. The government and the NSCN had entered into a ceasefire agreement on 1 August 1997, initially for periods of three months. It was extended for a year in 1999. Various NGOs and the Church, which have been playing a crucial role in an effort to restore permanent peace in Nagaland, have appealed for extension of the ceasefire. The NSCN has recently said that the terms of the ceasefire must be reviewed and that it must be made clear whether its ambit covered all Naga-inhabited areas or what is called the "greater Nagaland." The NSCN claims parts of Manipur, Assam and Arunachal Pradesh, inhabited by Nagas, as belonging to "greater Nagaland." The three-year-long ceasefire has not been without bloodshed with at least 536 deaths reported. Of these 165 people died in clashes between underground groups in Nagaland, mainly between the NSCN and the NSCN (Khaplang). Besides, an abortive attempt was made on the life of the Nagaland Chief Minister, SC Jamir, by the NSCN. The NSCN justified its action against members of other militant groups by saying that the ceasefire was only with security forces. The government has said the ceasefire was agreed upon to create peaceful conditions to facilitate talks. Several rounds of talks have been held between the government and NSCN leaders during the past three years. However, not much headway seems to have been made towards finding a political settlement of the decades-old imbroglio. Talks at the highest level came to a halt after the NSCN general secretary, T Muivah, was arrested at Bangkok in January on charges of travelling on fake passport. The hearing of the case, which came up yesterday at a Bangkok court, has now been deferred till August. The Centre's negotiator, K Padmanabhia, has admitted that Muivah's arrest has been a setback to the talks. Observers say no lasting peace can be achieved if militant groups do not unite. The NSCN is reported to have deputed three senior leaders for talks with the NSCN(K) to chalk out modalities for unity. Zunebhuto district has been declared as a "peace zone." (Dipankar Roy; The Statesman; Calcutta; July 26, 2000)

NEW DELHI, July 26: The next round of peace talks between the Government of India and the Isak-Muivah faction of the National Socialist Council of Nagalim (NSCN) will be held in Bangkok on July 28 and 29. The chief negotiator on behalf of the Government of India, K Padmanabhaih will lead a high-level team of Union government officials in the peace talks, while the NSCN delegation will be led by its chairman Isak Swu, Home Ministry sources said here today. Sources said that the extension of the ceasefire agreement, which expires on July 31, will be the main topic in the talks. Sources expressed the hope that the NSCN delegation would agree for extension of the ceasefire. (Staff Correspondent; The Assam Tribune; Guwahati; July 27, 2000)

NEW DELHI, July 26: The Centre and the National Socialist Council of Nagalim will hold talks on extending the ceasefire on 28 and 29 July. The ceasefire ends on 31 July and there are indications that it will be extended by a year, notwithstanding both sides trading charges of violation. Official sources said talks would focus only on the extension of ceasefire and chances of acceding to the NSCN's demand to modify ground rules for ceasefire are remote. The talks are unlikely to focus on the broader details of a political settlement to the Naga problem. In the first positive move in nearly six months, the NSCN has agreed to depute a team of top leaders, including its chairman Isak Swu, to negotiate with the Centre. The talks will be held somewhere in South-east Asia, possibly in the Philippines, top official sources said here today. Talks remained deadlocked after the arrest of the outfit's secretary-general in Thailand in January. T Muivah was arrested on the eve of the last round of talks, subsequently postponed, on charges of travelling on a fake passport and then attempting to jump bail. Home ministry sources said NSCN's insistence on Muivah being the sole representative for talks had stymied several attempts at a dialogue. Only now has Muivah has agreed to let Swu lead the NSCN team, where other leaders will be present. The government will be represented by former Union home secretary K Padmanabhaiah. There has been no headway on entering into a ceasefire agreement with NSCN's Khaplang faction. The Nagaland government wants this faction to be part of talks but the Centre is hesitant. It does not want to act in haste because of its past experience with the NSCN. The Centre has often accused NSCN of violating accepted ground rules for ceasefire and charged its cadres with killing, extorting and kidnapping. It even closed an NSCN ceasefire monitoring cell in Dimapur earlier this year though it has now allowed the cell to be re-opened on the condition that it will not be misused. NSCN claims the government has not kept its word on enforcing a ceasefire in the Northeast. It has limited it to Nagaland. (Statesman News Service; The Statesman; Calcutta; July 27, 2000)

KOHIMA, July 28: Three former Prime Ministers have jointly appealed to the Centre to renew the ceasefire agreement with the NSCN(IM) and urged the Thai government to release T Muivah so as to revive the peace process, reports UNI. In a joint release issued recently, Chandra Shekhar, VP Singh and HD Deve Gowda expressed concern at the development "at home and in Bangkok" and said these were not helping to create a conducive environment to maintain the ceasefire meaningfully or continue dialogue to find a lasting solution to the 50-year-old Naga problem. "We are committed to promoting a dialogue between the Government of India and the NSCN so that the peace talks could seriously begin," they said. The ceasefire was under considerable strain and the breakdown of agreement would cause serious problems to both the Nagas and the Centre. Return of violence and repression would be a devastating setback to the emerging civil society movement for peace and justice in Nagaland and also in the rest of the country, they observed. The former PMs also appealed to the Union government to renew the ceasefire agreement with the NSCN as was done in 1997 so that talks could be resumed in a constructive and meaningful manner. Stating that the participation of NSCN(IM) leader T Muivah was essential for continuation of the peace talks, they urged the Centre to intervene to secure his release. Meanwhile, the Thai friends of the Nagas, in a release here said that a meeting of the Naga people along with the participants from Thailand, India and various international groups had appealed to both Indian and Thai governments to endorse Muvah's immediate release from custody in the interest of peace and security of the region. "Muivah best reflects the aspiration of the Naga people and should represent them in the negotiations between the Government of India and the NSCN(IM). He has the authority to negotiate a substantive and lasting settlement," the meeting observed. (United News of India; The Assam Tribune; Guwahati; July 29, 2000)

GUWAHATI, July 28: The Church has called for a cessation of hostilities among Naga underground groups. A six-member team of the Nagaland Baptist Churches Council met the "kilo kilonser" (home minister) of the National Socialist Council of Nagalim, Q Tuccu, on Wednesday and impressed upon him the need for a ceasefire among the groups. Killings among Naga brothers and sisters must stop, the NSCN leader was told. The delegation of the Church, an influential institution in Nagaland, was told that the NSCN leadership would discuss their proposal. On 20 July, the team had appealed for unity to the National Socialist Council of Nagaland (Khaplang) during a meeting with its general secretary, Kitovi Zimomi, somewhere in Mokokchung district. Zimomi has reportedly assured the Church leaders that his organisation would consider the request. The NBCC decided to approach the two groups after a meeting of its "peace committee", set up about a year ago, decided that unification of Naga underground groups was a prerequisite for a lasting peace in Nagaland. According to some reports, the NSCN has deputed three of its senior leaders to work out modalities for unification of the two factions which have been at war since 1988 after they split. Over the past three years, 165 members of the two groups died in clashes. The NSCN has said it has taken the step after the Khaplang group sent feelers. The NSCN, however, feels that the NSCN(K) has been working against it at the behest of the government. Zunebhuto district has been declared a "peace zone" to facilitate moves for peace talks between the two groups. The Church apart, almost all in Nagaland are convinced that the ongoing talks between the Centre and the NSCN - another round to discuss extension of the ceasefire is slated to get under way today in a Southeast Asian capital - would not bear fruit if the other groups, mainly the NSCN(K), are not roped in. The two other groups are Naga National Council (Adino) and Naga National Council (Khodao), both relatively small factions that have largely abandoned armed struggle. However, the Centre's hands seem to have been tied in this regard. The NSCN insists that talks can be held only with it because that is what a former prime minister had assured. At the same time, the government has given enough indication that it appreciates the need for participation of all groups, including underground organisations, in the process to find a solution to the Naga tangle. (Statesman News Service; The Statesman; Calcutta; July 29, 2000)

NEW DELHI, July 29: The Naga People's Movement for Human Rights (NPMHR) on Friday appealed to Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee to extend the ceasefire agreement with the National Socialist Council of Nagaland (IM) and continue the political dialogue towards finding lasting peace in the state after securing the release of NSCN general secretary T Muivah, reports UNI. "The leadership of Muivah is very essential for continuation of ceasefire and peace talks since he has overwhelming support and credibility" among the Naga people, the NPMHR said in a memorandum to the Prime Minister. It said the release of Muivah would create an atmosphere of confidence about the Government's seriousness towards finding a lasting solution to the vexed problems. A breakdown of ceasefire agreement at this juncture would worsen the situation, it said. "The present scene is threatening to destroy the hard-earned hope for peace." Discontinuity of the dialogue may reignite violence and prove detrimental to the well-being of the people of Nagaland. The memorandum cited the Centre's failure to officially recognise Muivah as the general secretary of the NSCN, issuance of non-bailable warrants against him and closing of the ceasefire monitoring warrants against him and closing of the ceasefire monitoring office in Kohima as reasons for the deteriorating situation. The NPMHR had earlier in the day staged a sit-in at Jantar Mantar. (United News of India; The Assam Tribune; Guwahati; July 30, 2000)

GOLAGHAT, July 30: Naga extremists have stepped up their extortion drive in the 'B' and 'C' sectors of the Assam Nagaland border within Golaghat district. The poor villagers living in the 'B' and 'C' sectors are forced to spend sleepless nights due to the threats received from the extremists. The villagers of Natun Raja Pukhuri, Ranipukhuri, Chetiagaon, Chandalachung, Dolipather within Dhansiri sub-division alleged that the district administration is doing nothing against the extremists who have continued killing, kidnapping and looting the non-Naga people. The Naga extremists have resorted to torturing and collecting taxes from the non-Naga people since a long time. Besides they have also served notices to the border area people living in 'B' and 'C' sector to vacate their villages. As a result the people had to leave their villages to safer places. The people of the villages alleged that the local MLA and Minister of Border Development Area has not done anything for the protection of their lives and property inspite of repeated appeals to solve the vexed border problem within a short time. (Correspondent; The Assam Tribune; Guwahati; July 31, 2000)