The killing of civilians by military personnel in Nagaland’s Mon district has focused attention, once again, on the Armed Forces (Special P...
The killing of civilians by military personnel in Nagaland’s Mon district has focused attention, once again, on the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act. A wide range of constituencies – the chief ministers of Nagaland and Meghalaya, political parties, Naga armed groups, civil society organisations and tribal bodies – have renewed an old demand for the repeal of the law. Without the sweeping powers and protections guaranteed to armed forces under the law, it is argued, they would not have shot and killed so easily.
On December 4, army personnel first shot down six coal miners returning home, apparently mistaking them for militants. Later, as angry crowds closed in on army vehicles, killing one soldier, the army opened fire once more. Seven more civilians were killed. On December 5, protesting crowds attacked an Assam Rifles camp in the district headquarters of Mon, and security personnel shot again, killing at least one civilian.
Across Nagaland, old resentments against security forces have resurfaced. There is a growing demand for the dismantling of the Assam Rifles camp in Mon, at least until tensions subside. Videos from Nagaland also show youth forcing Assam Rifles vehicles to retreat from certain areas. As the paramilitary force tasked with securing the region, the Assam...
