Naga leaders meet UK Parliamentarian
Source: Chronicle News Service / NNN

Dimapur, June 13 2025: Naga elders and leaders representing various "Naga tribal hohos" from Northeast India were invited to the House of Lords in London.

In a statement made available to the media, Forum for Naga Reconciliation (FNR) informed that during the visit, the delegation met with Rt Hon the Lord Boateng of Akyem and Wembley, a member of the House of Lords of the United Kingdom.

Lord Boateng expressed his solidarity and support for all indigenous communities, including the Naga people, in their efforts to repatriate the physical remains of their ancestors.

The meeting follows global outrage in October 2024 over a proposed sale of human remains by an Oxfordshire auction house.

Naga leaders meet UK Parliamentarian

The remains, all originating from the global South, included ancestral human remains of the Naga people.

Lord Boateng, alongside Baroness Black of Strome, played a key role in calling for a parliamentary debate in the House of Lords to prevent the sale and display of human body parts.

Their intervention, supported by Indigenous voices, helped halt the proposed sale, the press release stated.

The Naga delegation is currently in the UK to collaborate with the Pitt Rivers Museum on the repatriation of Naga human remains held in its collections.

During the meeting, the delegation expressed their gratitude to Lord Boateng for his advocacy on legislative changes regarding the dehumanising sale of human remains.

Reflecting on his Ghanaian heritage, Lord Boateng noted that both India and Ghana experienced oppression under British colonial rule and later fought for their independence.

He said this shared history laid the foundation for freedom and justice.

According to the statement, Lord Boateng remarked that while most former colonies are now free, they are still awaiting justice.

In the context of ongoing repatriation efforts, Lord Boateng presented the official report from the House of Lords parliamentary debates concerning the sale and display of human remains in the UK.

The debates examined potential legal solutions to criminalise such practices.

"No human remains should be treated as possessions, curiosity, or for profit.

It is morally wrong and offensive," Lord Boateng said during the meeting.

He further added, "I salute your struggles to give voice to all indigenous peoples because this process represents the indigenous peoples of the world.

We are one people and all of us are deserving of respect".

Speaking on behalf of the Naga elders and leaders, Angami Public Organisation president Thejao Vihienuo thanked Lord Boateng for the invitation.

He stated that the purpose of the delegation's visit was to address the historical injustices of colonialism through which their ancestors' remains were taken.

Other Naga tribal leaders also expressed appreciation for Lord Boateng's support and stressed the urgency of repatriating the ancestral remains.

Phom Peoples' Organization vice president Ngongba Tange Thamlong Phom, said, "There are many ancestors belonging to our people, and the spirits will not find rest and peace until we bring them home".

Konyak Union representative Aching Pei-hwang Wangsa, spoke of the importance of travelling to the UK to witness the remains of ancestors taken away decades ago.

Dr Ngullie, an elder from the FNR, remarked, "We have been called to this place by our ancestors who were cared for by the Pitt Rivers Museum".

He pointed out the importance of spiritual connections grounded in Naga Indigenous beliefs, saying, "We are here to reconcile and bring healing not only to the Naga lands, but to humanity" .