Govt to hold cease-fire talks with Naga next month

Published on Sunday, 20 January 2013 22:42

An army soldier patrolling at the Naga New Year Festival in Sagaing Region (Photo - EMG)

The government would open peace talk at union level with ethnic Naga armed group next month, the group said.

The Naga has reached the first stage of peace talk with the government as regional revel in Khamti, Sagaing Region since April 9 last year.

"Relations between the government and the Naga armed group are good, said Kyaw Wan Sein, central committee member of the Naga Peace Group.

The ethnic people are happy with such relation but the Naga people lag far behind other national races in development and their education is low, he said.

 “When our political talks are due, we have to tell about the situation. We will also discuss development endeavours for every area in the Naga region," he added.

The Naga armed group entered politics in 1946 and took up weapon against the authority in 1964. Ethnic Naga live in Lahe, Leshi and Namyun as well as along the border of India's Nagaland.

According to the Naga Peace Group, Myanmar has a Naga population of about 300,000 while that in India is about 30 million.

"The Naga people living in India receive assistance from the government under its administrative system but those in Myanmar don't," said Kyaw Wan Sein.