ANSAM demands Shimray's release
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, March 24 2012:
The arrest of Anthony Ningkhan Shimray suggest that there is no honour in the numerous ceasefire agreements that the Government of India has entered into and peace talks do not hold any value, president of All Naga Students' Association, Manipur (ANSAM) Kumo Sha contended.
Meanwhile, attending the signing of SoO agreement by two Kuki outifts today at Ist MR, Joint Secretary of Home (NE), Sambhu Singh today said that arrest and peace talks are not related while adding that ceasfire between GoI and NSCN (IM) is confined only in Nagaland.
Speaking to reporters today at the Manipur Press Club, Kumo Sha doubted the outcome of the GoI's peace initiative by engaging as many as 31 insurgent groups in the North East under ceasefire or SoO agreements.
He noted that the continuing fraticidal violence and killings, splintering of groups and the formation of new groups not only demonstrate how incapable these processes are but it also clearly shows the lack of political will and the absence of clarity and direction to resolve conflicts in the NE.
A surge of arrests and detention of key leaders who matter in the success of the process of negotiation and peace talk have been witnessed.
Many leaders have been arrested, jailed and made immobile, Sha charged.
Referring to the arrest of NSCN-IM's Head of Foreign Affairs, Anthony Ningkhan Shimray on September 27, 2010 from Kathmandu, Kumo asserted that the GoI violated not only its own laws and the national sovereignty, but has also violated international convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance, to which India is a signatory.
Stating that the Government of India cannot deny that he is one of the prominent leaders in the peace talk, ANSAM President said jailing him bears testimony of insincerity of GoI and complete disregard for the effort that has gone in to initiate peace talk with the NSCN.
The students' body also voiced its condemnation over the arrest and arbitrary detention of Anthony Shimray while urging the Government to immediately free him.
The press meet was also attended by leaders of Naga Women's Union, Naga Peoples Movement for Human Rights apart from other functionaries of ANSAM.