US Senator backs NSCN-IM, new office in DC By Wasbir Hussain LONDON, Aug 6: In a clear push to its efforts at internationalizing the Naga issue, the NSCN(IM) has set up an office in Washington DC, appointed a 'Registered Foreign Agent' and has succeeded in enlisting the support of US Senators in backing its cause, informed sources here said.
NSCN(IM) leaders in Nagaland, contacted by telephone, confirmed setting up of the office at Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington DC. They made it clear that this move would not hamper the ongoing peace negotiations with the Indian Government, which, according to them, is still very much 'on track.' Delivering a speech at the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee on July 24, California Senator Barbera Boxer said that the NSCN (IM) has sought the Committee's intervention in resolving the 55-year-old bush-war over the Nagas' demand for an independent Naga homeland. Describing NSCN(IM) chairman Isak Chishi Swu as 'president of Nagaland' and the group's general secretary Thuingaleng Muivah as the 'prime minister', Ms Boxer said the former had urged her to convince the Committee to 'get involved' in the peace negotiations between them and New Delhi. "The Nagas, with great respect, are asking our Committee to get involved because they believe we are more experienced in political negotiations than India or their country," Boxer said in her speech entitled 'Call to learn more about the Naga-India struggle and welcome their new office in Washington DC.' Reached by telephone at Dimapur, Nagaland's commercial hub, NSCN (IM) Deputy Information Minister K.Chawang confirmed his group opening an office at Washington DC as well as 'some US Senators' backing their cause. Chawang refused to specifically name these Senators. "The idea of having an office at the US capital is to improve our foreign relations. After all, we have to enlist support from everybody for our cause even while negotiating with the Indian Government to try and work out an acceptable solution," Chawang told this writer on Wednesday. He added: "We are working for a solution, but whether it comes or not, we have to continue with our organizational work." According to Boxer, the Naga leadership is 'grateful' to Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee for the 'ceasefire atmosphere and for publicly acknowledging the uniqueness of the Naga conflict with India..' Naga rebels, including the NSCN(I-M), still sticks to their claim that Nagaland has been an independent nation when the British came to rule India and that it had announced its independence a day before India declared independence from British rule on August 15, 1947. These Naga rebels therefore argue that they are only fighting to regain their 'lost sovereignty' and were not waging a separatist campaign. New Delhi rejects this argument. While stating that the Nagas 'admire America's founding principals and are in alignment with our democratic principles,' Boxer suggested creating a special task force to go on a fact-finding mission to Nagaland. "European Union parliamentarians have already sent two top officials to learn more about the Naga-Indian conflict. We should send a delegation likewise," Boxer said. Indian Government authorities in the North-east could not immediately comment on whether any EU officials, as claimed by Boxer, had visited the region. The US Senator suggested that at a later stage, the Committee could think of 'taking the suggestion of the Nagas' to act as a 'mediator/neutral referee' to 'observe, ensure and hold accountable violators of the peace negotiation for both sides.' New Delhi, however, has always been opposed to any third party mediation efforts in India's internal affairs as in Jammu & Kashmir or the North-east. Interestingly, Boxer in her speech stressed on Nagaland's 'military importance.' She said: "I believe the potential military importance of Nagaland to the US is akin to that of South Korea's 38th parallel". _______________________________________________ Assam mailing list [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://pikespeak.uccs.edu/mailman/listinfo/assam
