Naga Peoples’ Movement for Human Rights

(Ed. note: The following is the resolution and recommendations adopted by the Naga Peoples’ Movement for Human Rights at its 20th anniversary celebration on 14-15 December 1998 and at its general meeting on 15-16 January 1999.)

In spite of the fact that the United Nations declared 1998 as the International Year of Human Rights with the theme "Human Rights for All" and being the 50th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the fact that there is an on-going peace process for resolving the 51-year Naga political problem, the Indian government prevented Mr. Julian Burger (Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights) from participating in the 20 years of Naga Peoples’ Movement for Human Rights (NPMHR) celebration programme held at Makhrai-Rabu (Makhel), Nagalim, on 14 and 15 December 1998, citing "security problems." The Naga people strongly condemn this act of the Indian government and view this as yet another ploy to suppress the aspirations of the Nagas and also an attempt to prevent the world from knowing the injustices that the Nagas have been made to suffer under such policies for the last 51 years.

The NPMHR takes a strong exception to the illegal treatment meted out by the Government of India to one of its founding members, Mr. Luingam Luithui, secretary general of Asian Indigenous Peoples Pact (AIPP). This act of impounding his passport is a gross violation of his fundamental rights as per the Supreme Court’s decision in Maneka Gandhi’s case. We demand that his passport be restored.

In order to enable our people to understand and face the new challenges confronting us and recognising that a conflict situation is prevailing among the Naga National Workers, the NPMHR recommends that a vigorous interactive dialogue at a new level of co-operation and honesty among the national workers must precede a meaningful resolution of the conflict, and help facilitate free articulation by our people of their views in an atmosphere of complete freedom.

The NPMHR reiterates that the Naga national movement is a struggle for political freedom and not an economic or development problem as being projected by the Indian government and its agencies.

Realising that there is a need for a better understanding of the Naga political issue by the Indian civil society, the NPMHR shall continue to pursue awareness campaign to the people of India.

In its meeting on 15 and 16 January 1999 at Dimapur, the NPMHR has also taken a serious note of the atrocities being committed against the Christian communities in various parts of India by Hindu fundamentalists. These acts are viewed as systematic attempts to disrupt the social and religious fabric of the minorities. The NPMHR condemns such acts of human rights violations upon Christians and other minorities.