Western Naga Youth Front condemns drone attack on Naga civilians in Myanmar

DIMAPUR — The Western Naga Youth Front (WNYF) has condemned the recent drone attack on innocent Naga civilians in Naga areas of Myanmar, allegedly carried out by the Indian armed forces.

In a press release, the youth front stated that the “senseless assault” took the lives of a seven-year-old child and a 27-year-old civilian, both unarmed and defenceless.

According to the front, such a violent act against innocent lives is a deplorable violation of human rights and international law.

“This latest atrocity echoes the horrifying Oting incident of December 2021, when 14 unarmed Naga civilians were brutally killed by the Indian armed forces in Nagaland. Nearly four years later, justice has still not been delivered to the victims and their families.

“The absence of accountability in that case has emboldened further acts of impunity, perpetuating a cycle of violence and fear across Naga lands,” the WNYF stated.

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The front also pointed out that Naga people have endured decades of militarisation and systematic human rights abuses without justice or recognition, and that such repeated violations are not isolated acts but part of a broader pattern of disregard for the dignity and lives of Naga people.

“We urgently call upon the International community, human rights organisations, and advocates of peace and justice to take cognisance of these serious crimes and to hold the perpetrators accountable as domestic judiciary has failed time and again in serving justice to the Nagas,” the WNYF stated.

“The cycle of violence against civilians must end, and those responsible must face justice. In solidarity with the victims, their families, and all the Naga people, we the youths, reaffirm our collective commitment to the pursuit of peace, justice, and the protection of every innocent life. The bloodshed must stop, and truth and accountability must prevail in our land.”