'No objection to Naga civil society groups going to Myanmar'

Shillong, Aug 21: Union Minister of State for Home Kiren Rijiju on Friday said the central government has no objection to civil society groups from Nagaland visiting Myanmar to hold talks with NSCN-K members.

However, he added that the central government has not officially permitted the Naga civil society groups to go to Myanmar.

"The Naga Hoho and some other civil society groups came to meet us and requested us that they may be permitted to go to Myanmar to talk to Khaplang," Rijiju told journalists here.

"We said if efforts are being made by civil society groups to impress upon any militant groups including the NSCN-K to cease violence we have no objection," the minister said.

He said: "We are not sending the team. We are mindful of all the violent activities carried out by the NSCN-K in the last five months but any efforts to bring peace are welcome."

Moreover, he said a delegation of Nagaland legislators led by Chief Minister T.R. Zeliang had also met Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Rajnath Singh and him on the issue.

"They (Nagaland MLAs) are very clear. They don't want any kind of violence in Nagaland as they have suffered a lot in the last six and a half decade," he said, while reiterating that it was the NSCN-K which had unilaterally abrogated the ceasefire with the central government.

The civil society groups are expected to talk to National Socialist Council of Nagaland-Khaplang (NSCN-K) about resuming the 2001 ceasefire which was abrogated in March this year. The delegation is also likely to convince the group to join the peace process.

In recent times, Khaplang has signed a pact with the Myanmar government, paving the way for grant of autonomy to the NSCN-K in Sagaing -- a northwestern administrative region of Myanmar.

The agreement allows NSCN-K members to move unarmed across the country and to open a sub-office in the region.

IANS