NSCN-K (Ang Mai) accuses Yung Aung of falsifying lineage and education, and dismantling the revolutionary foundation of the organisation.
Share
DIMAPUR — The NSCN-K (Ang Mai) on Saturday responded to what it described as “false and fabricated allegations” levelled against its leaders and presented its position regarding the “so-called NSCN-YA or NSCN-Yung Aung/Joseph Lamkang (NSCN-YA/JL) group”.
According to a statement issued by the group, Chairman Maj. Gen. (Retd.) Ang Mai, both before and after assuming leadership of NSCN-K, sent emissaries, including Iphai Mission Pastor Kuimo, U Chowangsing, and other church and civil society leaders (CSOs) to meet Yung Aung or speak with him over the phone to resolve differences through dialogue.
It stated that Yung Aung repeatedly responded that he would consult his subordinates and provide a reply but allegedly employed delay tactics and responded with negative actions instead of constructive engagement.
The statement claimed that despite repeated wrongdoings and what it termed as misleading of the Naga people, the group remained silent for years in the hope that he would mend his ways. It said that at the time of Chairman Khaplang’s death, Yung Aung was a deputy kilonser (minister) and a relatively little-known figure within the organisation. In late 2018, he was elected Acting Chairman of NSCN-K through what the statement described as a conspiracy, allegedly in collaboration with certain prophetesses and prophets from a Christian denomination based in Taka village.
It further alleged that after assuming leadership, Yung Aung misled the Naga people and the media by claiming that he held a Master of Arts degree in Political Science, whereas he had passed Class 10 through an open schooling system without Mathematics and Science subjects.
The statement also questioned his claim of being the nephew of the late Chairman Khaplang. It stated that Khaplang belonged to the Shang lineage of the Shangwal sub-group of the Tangshang Naga tribe, while Yung Aung belongs to the Tang lineage of the Ngaimong sub-group. It further stated that Yung Aung’s mother is from the Lungphi clan of the Mossang sub-group of the Tangshang Naga community in Khamti, and asserted that there is no close familial relationship between the two. It claimed that such assertions were made to garner support and consolidate his position.
According to the statement, one of Yung Aung’s first actions after assuming leadership was the expulsion of five senior leaders, including Maj. Gen. (Retd.) Ang Mai, who was then serving as Home Minister, while they were in a Myanmar jail in early 2019. It also alleged that senior leaders from western Nagaland, including Lt. Gen. Nikki Sumi, Lt. Gen. Nyemlang Konyak and Kilonser Starson Lamkang, were expelled. It added that Maj. Gen. Langnyei Konyak, Kilonser Nyeiton Konyak, and Konyak Region Chairman Khampei Konyak were removed on what it termed as false and fabricated charges.
The statement claimed that the YA/JL group is running the party and government without collective leadership and described it as a “ One-man government”. It stated that Yung Aung has retained key portfolios under his control, while Joseph Lamkang serves as deputy and MIP minister, and that Gen. Kumchok, the Commander-in-Chief, has been sidelined.
It further stated that at the time of Khaplang’s demise, NSCN-K’s influence extended from Myanmar to Bhutan, Bangladesh and other regions. It alleged that Yung Aung adopted policies contrary to the political vision of Khaplang, particularly in relations with fraternal revolutionary organisations, resulting in several organisations leaving the base areas in Myanmar. The statement claimed that within less than five years, Yung Aung and Joseph Lamkang dismantled and fragmented much of the foundation built under S S Khaplang.
The statement also referred to media reports questioning Yung Aung’s identity and alleging that he may be Thoiba Singh from a Meitei family in Manipur. It stated that the MIP of the YA/JL group has remained silent on the matter and urged concerned individuals to ascertain the truth.
It further alleged that the YA/JL group has mobilised sections of the Tangshang Naga community in Myanmar to oppose the re-establishment of the historic Stilwell Road, described as an international highway project connecting India and China that would pass through Tangshang Naga-inhabited areas.
The statement added that the group has discouraged support for a bilateral ceasefire agreement between NSCN-K and the Myanmar Union and advocates that education and development in Naga areas should only be pursued after the attainment of Naga sovereignty. It stated that similar positions were taken by certain Naga national leaders between the 1960s and 1980s who opposed participation in Myanmar’s education system and development initiatives.
It further claimed that despite proximity to Khamti and Lahe towns and a significant population base, there are reportedly no gazetted officers from the Khiamniungan and Konyak Naga communities across Myanmar. It also alleged that family members and relatives of the YA/JL leadership are living in India and availing themselves of education and other benefits.
The statement concluded that the actions and policies of the YA/JL group risk derailing the development and progress of the Nagas in Myanmar.