Kohima, December 21, (Agencies): In another incident of clashes between the rival factions of the NSCN, the Khaplang group has kidnapped four senior functionaries of NSCN-IM at Dimapur.
In a statement, NSCN-IM alleged that the rival group kidnapped two senior functionaries of its women's wing along with the driver from the town on Friday. Two other senior members of the group were also abducted from the town on December 16, the group said.
The Khaplang group of the NSCN today said "the four persons, including two females, were arrested not because of their individual crimes, but because they represented an institution which was responsible for loss of many lives".
It said if killings could serve any purpose, then the arrested officials would have met their end instantly. The group said the period of detention of the NSCN-IM cadres was purely prerogative of the former.
Meanwhile, various Naga organisations have expressed surprise over the incidents saying the development "negated the significant progress achieved so far in the Naga reconciliation process initiated by churches and various social groups and tribal councils.
Naga Women Union Manipur (NWUM) has appealed for the immediate release of the abducted persons on humanitarian ground. Expressing shock over the abductions, Tangkhul Naga Long (Union) and Tangkhul Katamnao Saklong (students body) appealed to those responsible for the act to release the detained persons unharmed.
On the other hand, there were reports that as part of ongoing peace and reconciliation effort, Forum for Naga reconciliation, comprising churches and civil society organisations, recently held its fourth peace summit at Chiang Mai in Thailand that was also attended by representatives from Naga underground groups.
