GNF backs NSO’s stand against forced conscription of Nagas

Global Naga Forum (GNF) has expressed support for stand of Naga Students’ Organisation (NSO) Myanmar concerning the recent abductions and forced conscription of Naga youth in Shinbwiyang by the Kachin Independence Army (KIA) and its allied group, the Eastern Naga Defense Army (ENDA).
GNF through its media cell also commended the NSO for its measured and dignified response that upheld the ideals of truth, unity, and justice, the very foundations upon which the Naga political movement rested.
The forum reminded that historically, the bond between Kachin and Naga peoples had been one of deep solidarity, forged through shared experiences of marginalisation, resistance, and aspirations for self-determination.
It maintained that “this long-standing fraternity” had been built on mutual respect, cultural affinity, and political cooperation.
GNF has, therefore, said that the recent shift in KIA’s approach, marked by “coercion and violations” of individual dignity, was not only disappointing but deeply painful for the Naga people.
The forum expressed concern that change in posture by KIA could be influenced by larger geopolitical forces that were playing out across the Indo-Myanmar region.
GNF claimed that the strategic interests of powerful actors, including the military junta in Myanmar, the Government of India, People’s Republic of China, and the United States have “significantly altered” the dynamics on the ground. “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,” GNF stated.
Further, the forum expressed apprehension that such decisions could 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 this regard, GNF has questioned whether KIA’s recent actions may be 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,” GNF added.
The forum has 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.
GNF has also called upon all indigenous movements in the region “to resist being pawns” in the power games of dominant regimes and imperialist forces, adding that “our true strength lies in unity, not submission, in mutual support, not coercion.”
Expressing solidarity with NSO and the Naga people, NGF has reaffirmed its commitment to peace, justice, and the preservation of fraternal ties between the Naga and Kachin communities.