Nagaland chief minister T.R. Zeliang has made a fervent appeal to the NSCN (K) to shun the path of violence and return to the negotiating table.
According to CMO media cell, Zeliang, who arrived Myanmar on Saturday, interacted with leaders of various Myanmar based Naga organizations at Yangon and asked them to approach NSCN (K) chairman S.S. Khaplang and urge him to “drop the gun and talk for the rights of the Naga people”.
Urging the leaders to try their best to persuade Khaplang to re-enter into a ceasefire agreement with the Governments of Myanmar and India, Zeliang said it was important to take up peaceful negotiations to find a lasting and honourable solution to the protracted Naga political issue.
“If there is peace here in Myanmar between the Naga community and the Government, I shall personally take up the matter with the Prime Minister of India and I am confident that he will tie up with the Government of Myanmar to resolve the Naga problem here as well as in India simultaneously,” Zeliang said.
With regard to border fencing issue raised by Naga leaders, Zeliang said he had repeatedly taken up the matter with the Government of India to leave the border open rather than having it fenced “so that the unreached areas can be opened up for better development.”
Unlike other international boundaries with countries like Bangladesh or Pakistan, he said since there are Naga areas falling in the two countries of Myanmar and India, fencing of these areas was not be advisable.
“Naga areas along the Indo-Myanmar border should not be allowed to become the permanent hideout for insurgent groups of the Northeast,” he added.
Zeliang assured that once peace prevails in the area, he would try his best to persuade Government of India to undertake major road constructions and other developmental works, so that Nagas on both sides of the border are benefited.
CM addresses Intl business summit
Nagaland chief minister T.R. Zeliang stressed on the importance of the proposed India-Myanmar-Thailand (IMT) trilateral highway saying it could be one of the most significant steps for connectivity in the Southeast Asian region.
Addressing, the International Business Seminar in Yangon, on Sunday evening as part of India-Myanmar-Thailand Motor Rally in the presence of chief minister Yangon Region, Phyo Min Thein; secretary ministry of Road Transport & Highways, Government of India, Sanjay Mitra; Ambassador of India to Myanmar, Vikram Misri and a host of officials from India and Myanmar, Zeliang said this highway will facilitate global trade and commerce passing through one of the most underdeveloped regions of the world.
He said the road would not only connect North East India with Myanmar and Thailand, but will be a part of the greater scheme of connectivity of the BBIN (Bangladesh–Bhutan–India–Nepal) with South East Asia.
Through this highway, he said enormous economic activity would be generated and will open up the land-locked North Eastern region, as well as Myanmar’s North-West, and integrate them with the rest of India, Myanmar, Thailand and other South East Asian Countries upto Malaysia.
He went on to suggest that border towns in Nagaland– Noklak and Mon– could be connected with Lahe and Hkamti in Myanmar through Longwa, Chen and Pangsha on Indian side of the border. Similarly, further south, he said Meluri could also be connected through Avangkhu to Layshi, and thence to Tamanthi.
He observed that these smaller and shorter linkages would require very little investment and also act as feeders to the Asian Highway that has been considered.
In this regard, Zeliang called upon the leaders of the neighbouring countries in the region, to take it upon themselves as their “collective responsibility to ensure that this initiative is carried forward in real earnest, so that it becomes a reality during our life-time.”
Despite challenges faced by North East India and North West Myanmar region, Zeliang said he was optimistic that by opening up the land-locked region, it would “unleash a new process of economic development, not only in this region, but in other parts of Asia as well.”
On the ethnic diversity of the region, Zeliang said both countries acknowledged that there were as many Nagas living in Myanmar as in India. “Ethnic diversities can be either opportunities or problems, depending on how you handle them”, he said, adding “many ethnic groups, both in India and Myanmar, have been pursuing their self determination for the last many years”.
However, if we can channelize the energies of all these ethnic groups to positive use, by creating a sense of ownership, participation and mutual co-existence, the outcomes will be tremendous, he said.
Lamenting that the region was known to the world as the ‘Golden Triangle’, famous for insurgency and smuggling of contraband items, he said “if there is some truth in this, it is basically because they have few other alternatives for survival in a fast changing globalized world.”
With democratic process beginning to take firm roots in Myanmar and other South- East Asian countries, Zeliang said “it has given us new hopes for our future”.
He also called upon all to understand that the cultural and historical linkages of the region were our assets and strengths for building bilateral relations, and for development of trade and investment.
He said the presence of large number of Nagas in Myanmar was an advantage for Nagas in India, to participate in India’s Act East Policy, for building cultural and economic relationships with South-East Asian nations.
Even as large quantum of informal trades have been taking place between Myanmar and NE India, Zeliang said these informal trades need to be formalized, expanded and capitalized to substantially benefit the economy of the region.
“Nagaland by itself has much to offer in terms of services. Our educational network is quite substantial. So also our health care facilities. It is a well known secret that many people from Myanmar have been availing of such facilities in Nagaland over the years,” he said.
“This should be encouraged and formalized as a part of our people to people contact policy. For this, along with the present policy for building the Asian Highway, we should also think in terms of building smaller and shorter connecting roads,” Zeliang said.
Upon arrival, Zeliang, accompanied by parliamentary secretary, Khriehu Liezietsu and others were received at the airport by leaders of the Naga Public Organisation, Naga Students’ Organisation, Naga Women Organisation and church leaders of Yangon.