GNF lauds NSO defiance to KIA coercion
Source: Chronicle News Service / Newmai News Network

Kohima, August 18 2025: The Global Naga Forum (GNF) has expressed its "unequivocal support" for the Naga Students' Organisation (NSO) Myanmar (Burma) and their "principled stand concerning the recent abductions and forced conscription of Naga youths in Shinbwi-yang by the Kachin, Independence Army (KIA) and its allied group, the Eastern Naga Defense Army (ENDA) .

The GNF, in a statement, commended the NSO for its "measured and dignified response, which upholds the ideals of truth, unity, and justice, the very foundations upon which the Naga political movement rests" .

Historically, the bond between the Kachin and the Naga peoples has been one of deep solidarity, forged through shared experiences of marginalisation, resistance, and aspirations for self-determination, said the GNF.

This long standing fraternity has been built on mutual respect, cultural affinity, and political cooperation.

Therefore, the recent shift in KIA's approach, marked by coercion and violations of individual dignity, is not only disappointing but deeply painful for the Naga people, the GNF lamented.

The GNF said it was concerned that this change in posture by the KIA may be influenced by larger geopolitical forces that are playing out across the Indo-Myanmar region.

The strategic interests of powerful actors, including the military junta in Myanmar, the Government of India, the People's Republic of China, and the United States have significantly altered the dynamics on the ground, the GNF also said.

The statement then said, "It is plausible that the KIA, operating in a complex battlefield of survival and diplomacy, is being compelled to make decisions that serve short-term tactical interests but risk long-term damage to the trust and solidarity between indigenous communities".

The GNF further said it fears that such decisions may be part of a broader game plan to divide ethnic resistance movements, co-opt genuine revolutionary struggles, and suppress indigenous aspirations under the guise of regional stability and strategic cooperation.

In particular, the GNF questioned whether the KIA's recent actions are linked to shifting alliances and covert strategies employed by the Government of India to weaken Naga unity and resistance, especially in the context of the Indo-Naga political negotiations and the scrapping of the Free Movement Regime (FMR) .

Such developments must be critically examined, it added.

The GNF urged KIA to return to its founding revolutionary ethics based on respect, empathy, and the will of the people and to cease all acts of forced conscription and intimidation.

"Let history not remember the KIA as an oppressor of fellow oppressed peoples, but as a principled ally in the collective struggle for dignity, justice, and freedom", it added.

The GNF then called upon all indigenous movements in the region to resist being pawns in the power games of dominant regimes and imperialist forces.

"Our true strength lies in unity, not submission, in mutual support, not coercion".

In solidarity with the NSO and the Naga people, the GNF reaffirmed its commitment to peace, justice, and the preservation of fraternal ties between the Naga and Kachin communities.

Comment