The Zeliangrong United Front (ZUF) has expressed deep concern over the reported construction of the so-called Tiger/German Road and the cultivation of poppy plants in foothill areas traditionally belonging to the Zeliangrong and the wider Naga community.
The Front reiterated that the ancestral land of the Zeliangrong people must not be disturbed or encroached upon by any group of people under any circumstance(s). The ZUF said it has been maintaining patience so far, refraining from fishing in troubled waters, as the entire region continues to suffer under insurmountable ethnic conflict. However, it warned that if the fundamental rights of the Zeliangrong people are violated unabated, the Front will not remain a mute spectator.
The ZUF also appealed to the Kuki armed groups to refrain from establishing unauthorized check posts and from frisking daily commuters belonging to the Zeliangrong and Naga communities along the Asian Development Bank (ADB) Road between Kangchup and Waphong (Talamlong). The Front said such actions create unnecessary tension and disrupt peaceful coexistence among neighbouring communities in the region.
Furthermore, the ZUF strongly discouraged poppy cultivation in the Pongringlong (Charoipantongba) and Talamlong (Waphong) areas, stating that it not only harms the environment but also undermines the moral and social fabric of society.
The Front reaffirmed its steadfast commitment to safeguarding the Zeliangrong ancestral land at all costs while promoting peace and maintaining harmonious relations with all neighbouring communities.
The communiqué was issued by Franky Gonmei, Ministry of Information & Publicity, Zeliangrong United Front (ZUF).