The Global Naga Forum (GNF) has condemned what it described as continued “extrajudicial drone strikes” targeting civilians in the Naga Self-Administered Zone (NSAZ) in Myanmar, and called for immediate international intervention.
In a press statement, the GNF alleged that a drone attack on Khammaoi village on April 6, “allegedly carried out by the Indian Army,” reflects a “disturbing pattern of indiscriminate force” endangering civilian lives and violating humanitarian principles.
According to the statement, the recent strike resulted in the destruction of a thatched house, though an elderly man and his grandchild inside reportedly escaped unharmed. However, the group claimed that the use of “three drone bombs in and around the same location” indicated an intent to “inflict harm and instill fear among civilians.”
The GNF further linked the incident to a previous drone strike in Khammaoi village in October last year, which it said had claimed the lives of a 27-year-old student and a seven-year-old child, while several others, including a 10-year-old boy, sustained serious injuries. It described the incidents as part of a “recurring pattern of targeting unarmed civilians under the cover of darkness,” calling such actions a “grave and unacceptable abuse of military power.”
Expressing concern over what it termed continued attacks on Naga civilians in their “ancestral lands,” the GNF called for an immediate halt to the “indiscriminate use of drone warfare against non-combatants.”
The group also appealed to the United Nations, relevant international human rights bodies, and the Government of Myanmar to take “immediate and decisive action,” including condemning the alleged violations, initiating an independent and time-bound international investigation, and ensuring accountability.
Reaffirming its solidarity with Naga communities in Myanmar, particularly residents of Khammaoi village, the GNF called for measures to ensure “safety, justice, and the safeguarding of civilian life and ancestral Naga territories.”
