Source: The Sangai Express / PTI
New Delhi, December 07:
The government and the NSCN-IM have made some "progress" in their latest round of discussions on outstanding issues held in Amsterdam to find a lasting solution to the six-decade-old insurgency in Nagaland and agreed to meet again early next year.
"Both sides had serious discussions on outstanding issues.
The parties have agreed to resume discussions early next year," a joint communique issued today said.
After the talks on Monday and Tuesday between the Central team, led by Labour Minister Oscar Fernandes, and NSCN-IM delegation headed by chairman Isaac Chisi Swu and general secretary Thuingaleng Muivah, both sides said they were hopeful to make further progress in resolving all issues in the next round of talks.
"At least some progress has been made," top NSCN-IM leader VS Atem told PTI over phone.
Asked whether the rebels were satisfied in the latest round of talks, since the previous round of discussions held in October ended in a deadlock, Atem said "Nagas cannot be satisfied till their aspirations were fulfilled".
On Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's recent statement in Imphal that New Delhi would not do anything which will harm the sentiments of the people of Manipur, Atem said "I don't know what exactly the Prime Minister had said.
But we expect that he is not going to suppress the aspirations of the Nagas".
NSCN-IM's vision of an integrated Naga homeland includes parts of Manipur, Arunachal Pradesh and Assam.