NSCN/GPRN president, Shangwang Shangyung Khaplang, age around 77 years, passed away Friday evening around 7.30 p.m. at NSCN/GPRN Council Headquarters, Taka region Myanmar. He is survived by his wife, three sons and one daughter.
NSCN (K) MIP confirmed that SS Khaplang “passed away peacefully while resting in bed without any sickness.”
MIP said Khaplang, who had undergone surgery in 2015 at a Yangon general hospital after suffering from a medical condition complicated by diabetes, had been exceptionally healthy and fit.
NSCN (K) said that the group was yet to decide where SS Khaplang would be laid to rest.
Meanwhile, MIP informed that a state of national mourning would be declared and the state funeral would take place after the NSCN/GPRN finalizes the programme.
Khaplang, a Hemi Naga tribe of Myanmar, was born in April 1940 in Waktham village, East of Myanmar’s Pangsau Pass. He also heads the United Liberation Front of Western South East Asia (UNLFWSEA) a conglomeration of various North East insurgent outfits based in Myanmar.
Meanwhile, NSCN (K) MIP rubbished rumours on social media that the president was shot by his own bodyguard. NSCN (K) said “can’t even imagine why people resort to such false alarm, too aghast and disrespectful to the departed.”
In 1988, NSCN (Khaplang) was formed after it broke out from Th. Muivah and Isak Chishi Swu.
Khaplang’s recent and biggest success was being able to bring five other rebel groups — United Liberation Front of Assam (Independent), Nationalist Socialist Council of Nagaland (Khaplang), Kamatapur Liberation Organization (KLO) and National Democratic Front of Boroland (Songbijit) — under one umbrella and coalesced to form UNLFW.
However, Khaplang signed a truce deal with the Government of India on 27 April, 2001. While government of India was trying to broker peace, Khaplang refused to budge and went back to his demand and repealed the ceasefire agreement in April 2015.
Wednesday, April 1, 2026