NSCN(K) asked to shift Vihokhu camp

Kohima, May 11: The Cease-Fire Supervisory Board(CFSB) has asked the NSCN(K) to shift their 'Unification' camp at Vihokhu under Dimapur district to avoid further clashes with NSCN-IM, as the camp is not a 'Designated Camp'.

Official sources said here today that the CFSB, the monitoring agency for the implementation of the ceasefire agreement between the Centre and NSCN(K), held a closed door meeting at Chumukedima Police Complex in Dimapur yesterday.

The meeting was attended by a team of Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) officials, led by MHA Joint Secretary Naveen Verma, along with CFSB Chairman Lt Gen (Retd) R V Kulkarni, Inspector General of Assam Rifles (IGAR) Maj Gen K S Sethi, while Nagaland Commissioner H K Khulu and Director General of Police J Chankija, represented the state government.

NSCN(K) 'finance minister' (Chaplee Kilonser) Kughalu Mulatonu, along with R N Lotha, Wangting Konyak, Hokheto Holshe and Nitovi, represented their organisation.

Official sources said the meeting had agreed in principle to close down the Vihokhu camp, only 10 km away from Dimapur town, and a joint team constituted to work out a new designated camp. The NSCN(K) also agreed to move out of the camp very soon.

In the meeting, the government stressed on the need for all groups to seriously adhere to the Ceasefire Ground Rules and stop movement of armed cadres in civilian-populated areas.

The Board had instructed the NSCN(K) leaders to control their cadres and not resort to indiscriminate firing in public areas.

The Board also reviewed the recent series of violence in and around Dimapur and the NSCN(K) representatives assured to restrain their cadres.

However, the NSCN(K) informed that there was no ceasefire agreement between the rival NSCN groups and that it was outside the purview of the ceasefire arrangement with the Centre.

The sources said the Central team had come to Nagaland as the state government had insisted that the Central officials should come to assess the ground realities as they were not attending the meeting regularly.

Later, talking to newspersons, the Kilonser said the militant outfit would relocate the present Vihokhu camp.

UNI