The Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organization (UNPO) on Thursday strongly condemned the drone strike, describing it as highlighting “ongoing violations of international law and the systematic marginalization of Naga people.” UNPO noted that the attack “reflects a persistent pattern of disregard for the rights, safety, and dignity of the Naga people, a divided Indigenous population whose ancestral homeland spans across the imposed borders of India and Myanmar.”
According to UNPO, the drone attack occurred on the evening of 21 October 2025 across the international boundary, allegedly carried out by Indian authorities, though this is yet to be confirmed. The organization described the strike as “a deeply concerning escalation of military action against civilian populations in Naga-inhabited areas,” following a similar drone attack on 13 July 2025.
It warned that such acts “not only endanger innocent lives, but also heighten tension and instability among already systematically discriminated communities in the region.”
UNPO emphasized that under the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP), Naga communities “must be accorded full rights, including Article 30, which prohibits military activities in Indigenous lands without consultation, and Article 36, which requires that Indigenous Peoples divided by international borders can maintain cultural, political, economic, and social relations across those borders.”
The organization also condemned the continued implementation of AFSPA, the scrapping of the Freedom of Movement Regime, and the construction of the Indo-Myanmar border fence without Indigenous consultation, noting that these measures have further isolated Naga communities.
UNPO expressed “its deepest condolences to the families of the victims, Phiphot Wangsa and Khampei Wangsa, the injured, and the wider Naga community mourning this loss” and called upon the Governments of India and Myanmar, as well as international actors, to take immediate steps toward accountability and dialogue. The organization stressed that “a peaceful and rights-based approach remains the only path to durable security and justice.”
