The Global Naga Forum (GNF) has extended its “unequivocal support” to the Naga Students’ Organisation (NSO) Myanmar and its stand against the recent abductions and forced conscription of Naga youths in Shinbwiyang by the Kachin Independence Army (KIA) and its allied group, the Eastern Naga Defense Army (ENDA).
In a statement issued by its Media Cell, the GNF said, “We commend 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.”
The Forum recalled the “deep solidarity” between the Kachin and the Nagas, which it said was “forged through shared experiences of marginalisation, resistance, and aspirations for self-determination.” It stated, “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 statement went on to express concern that the KIA’s actions may be shaped by external factors. “We are 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 (GoI), the People’s Republic of China, and the United States have significantly altered the dynamics on the ground,” it noted.
According to GNF, the KIA may be making decisions “that serve short-term tactical interests but risk long-term damage to the trust and solidarity between indigenous communities.” It warned that such decisions could be part of a broader attempt “to divide ethnic resistance movements, co-opt genuine revolutionary struggles, and suppress indigenous aspirations under the guise of regional stability and strategic cooperation.”
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The Forum also raised the possibility of India’s involvement, stating, “In particular, we question whether the KIA’s recent actions may be linked to shifting alliances and covert strategies employed by the GoI 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).”
Urging the KIA to return to its “founding revolutionary ethics,” GNF appealed: “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.”
Calling for regional unity, it added, “We call 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.”
The Global Naga Forum reaffirmed, “In solidarity with the NSO and the Naga people, we reaffirm our commitment to peace, justice, and the preservation of fraternal ties between the Naga and Kachin communities.”
