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India-Naga rebels peace talks end on hopeful notes

IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency

Guwahati, May 10, IRNA
India-Nagaland
Hopes for an end to nearly six decades of violent insurgency in India's restive northeastern state of Nagaland have brightened with peace talks between New Delhi and an influential tribal separatist group ending on a positive note, a rebel leader told IRNA Tuesday.

The National Socialist Council of Nagaland (NSCN) led by guerrilla leaders Isak Chishi Swu and Thuingaleng Muivah ended a fresh round of talks with Indian government peace negotiators in New Delhi late Monday aimed at bringing the curtains down to one of South Asia's longest running rebellions.

"The talks were held in a very cordial atmosphere and concluded on a positive note with just two or three substantive issues that remained to be sorted out now," NSCN spokesman Kraibo Chawang said.

Federal Minister Oscar Fernandes and India's chief peace emissary K Padmanabhaiah led the government side in the talks with the NSCN leadership.

"The minister told us that he understood the problems of the Naga people and would convey the feelings to the Indian council of ministers before a final decision was taken to seal an accord," Chawang said.

The NSCN is currently holding peace talks with New Delhi after the two sides entered into a cease-fire in 1997.

The NSCN, the oldest and the most powerful of around 30 rebel armies in India's northeast, wants the creation of a "greater Nagaland" by slicing off parts of neighboring states of Assam, Manipur, and Arunachal Pradesh that has sizable Naga tribal populations.

The three regional governments of Assam, Manipur, and Arunachal Pradesh have already rejected the NSCN demand for unification of Naga dominated areas.

"Fernandes told us to have patience and assured us of the Indian government's determination to work out a mutually acceptable and honorable solution to our problem," Chawang said.

Muivah and Swu arrived in New Delhi in December at the invitation of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh for furthering peace talks.

The two self-exiled leaders are operating from Southeast Asian cities for the past 38-years.

There were at least 15 rounds of talks held between the rebel leadership and New Delhi since December although the two sides were yet to clinch a deal.

"The progress and pace of the talks are rather slow, but then the discussions are going on positively on the right track," Chawang said.

NSCN leader Muivah is expected to arrive in Dimapur later Tuesday to hold discussions with top guerrilla leaders and commoners before sitting for fresh talks with New Delhi later this month.

"Muivah will apprise the people about the progress of the talks so far and also to discuss strategies for future negotiations with New Delhi," Chawang said.

Nagaland, where more than 25,000 people have lost their lives to insurgency since India's independence from Britain in 1947, is a majority Christian state of two million people.

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::IRNA No.023 10/05/2005 12:46 --End