GNF, UNPO raise Naga rights concerns at UN Indigenous forum

DIMAPUR — The Global Naga Forum (GNF), in partnership with the Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organisation (UNPO), raised concerns about the ongoing human rights challenges faced by the Naga people at the 18th session of the United Nations Expert Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (EMRIP), held in Geneva.

The intervention, made under Agenda Item 5, which focused on the implementation of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) with special attention to traditional economies, was delivered by UNPO on behalf of GNF and the Naga people, who have been members of the UNPO since 1993.

According to a press release issued on Sunday, during the session on July 16, the joint statement highlighted the systematic marginalisation and violations experienced by Nagas across the Indian states of Nagaland, Manipur, Arunachal Pradesh, and Assam, as well as in Naga-inhabited areas across the Indo-Myanmar border.

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The GNF reiterated that the Indo-Naga political issue remains unresolved and criticised the Government of India for its failure to implement the 2015 Framework Agreement, which was intended to recognise the unique history, identity, and governance systems of the Naga people. The continued enforcement of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) in Naga-inhabited areas was denounced as a measure that perpetuates impunity for human rights violations. The statement recalled the Oting killings in 2021 as a grim example of the act's consequences.

According to the statement, policies like the AFSPA, the fencing along the Indo-Myanmar border, and the dismantling of the Freedom of Movement Regime have cut off kinship ties, blocked access to farmlands, and dismantled local trade, all of which directly contravene Articles 20, 23, and 26 of the UNDRIP.

The GNF and UNPO jointly called on the government of India to take specific steps to address these concerns, including fully implementing the 2015 Framework Agreement and repealing the AFSPA in Naga-inhabited areas. It also called for reinstating the Free Movement Regime along the Indo-Myanmar border and exploring community-led, rights-respecting alternatives to fencing; and formally recognising the legal status of Indigenous Peoples in India in line with international human rights frameworks.