Guwahati: The impeachment of the National Socialist Council of Nagaland NSCN(K) chairman Khango Konyak has completed the separation in the outfit between Indian and Myanmar origin leaders besides brightening the prospect of the only left out faction — NSCN(K) also joining the ongoing peace-talks with Government of India.
The NSCN(K), on August 17, impeached its chairman Khango Konyak. The outfit has replaced him with 45-year-old Yung Aung as the new acting chairman.
Khango belongs to a Naga tribe based in India while Aung, who is also the nephew of NSCN(K) founder the late S.S. Khaplang, is a Hemi Naga from Myanmar. Aung, however, completed his education from Manipur and is known to be an expert in martial arts and polo.
Naga tribes are spread over Indian states of Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland and Manipur and Myanmar. Indian Nagas are known as Western Nagas and Myanmarese Nagas are called Eastern Nagas.
The NSCN(K) has been demanding a separate country with Naga-inhabited parts of India and Myanmar. It’s the only Naga outfit, which is outside the peace process. The NSCN(K) unilaterally ended the ceasefire with Indian government in 2015.
Indian intelligence agencies, which are keeping a close watch on developments in NSCN(K), told this newspaper that decision to remove Khango as chairman was taken after a consultation within the rank and file of the outfit.
Though, the outfit in a statement said that it was unanimously resolved to impeach Khango “to save the party from further breakdown and confusion”, the development in the armed insurgent group has also been an indication for the Indian origin cadres of the outfit to leave Myanmar. The outfit has also given Khango a safe passage to go wherever he likes to.
Khango has left the NSCN(K) headquarters in Sagaing region of Myanmar along with some of his loyalists. Few top leaders of Indian-origin are believed to have left Myanmar camp with Khango.
When Khaplang, a Hemi Naga from Myanmar, died in June 2017 and the leadership was given to Khango Konyak, a Naga from India, it was believed that NSCN(K) would rejoin the peace-process.
The Government of India was also reluctant to hold talks with NSCN(K) led by Khaplang because of his Myanmar origin. The security agencies were of the view that holding talks with a militant leader of Myanmar origin would also have a bearing on friendly relationship of India and Myanmar.
It is significant that NSCN(K) has a ceasefire agreement with Myanmar since April 2012 and has refrained from clashes since 2000.
Security sources claimed that Myanmar government was not happy over the way NSCN(K) was indulging in various violent activities in Indian states, the NSCN(K) impeachment statement said that Khango was found guilty of grabbing absolute control of powers and functions without collective leadership, non-distribution of powers.
