Kohima, (Asian independent) Naga civil society organisations on Thursday organised various protest events in five districts of Nagaland against the killing of 14 youths and injuring 30 others by the security forces “due to mistaken identity” on December 4.
A dawn-to-dusk shutdown was also observed on Thursday in Mon district where the Army operation had taken place.
All government and private offices and business establishments remained closed during the shutdown and public transportation was crippled as members of the Konyak Naga tribe, to which the civilians gunned down in the December 4 firing belonged, held protest rallies in the district, which shares borders with Myanmar, Arunachal Pradesh and Assam.
The Eastern Nagaland Peoples’ Organisation (ENPO), a top tribal body, also staged demonstrations in Tuensang, Longleng, Kiphire, and Noklak districts.
Several Naga civil society organisations, including the Konyak Union, had earlier declared “non-cooperation” with the security forces until their demands, including repeal of the Armed Forces (Special Power) Act, 1958 (AFSPA), are fulfilled and justice is delivered to the 14 victims.
The Army had earlier expressed deep regret for the “unfortunate incident and unfortunate loss of lives” and said the matter would be investigated at the “highest level”.
Naga civil society organisations have continued to impose “total restrictions” on the movement of the army and paramilitary in the Konyak-dominated areas of Nagaland.
Announcing the “restrictions”, Konyak Union President S. Howing Konyak and other tribal leaders had also said that no military recruitment rally would be allowed in Mon and no Konyak youth would participate in any recruitment rally.
Konyak civil society organisations also said that no ex-gratia or compensation from the government would be accepted until justice was delivered to all the 14 victims.
Meanwhile, the Special Investigation Team (SIT), constituted by the state government to probe the December 4 incident, continued their investigation.
The Nagaland government would hold a special session of the Assembly on December 20 to discuss and pass a resolution for repealing the AFSPA.
