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| Afghanistan/South Asia |
| Collapse of Naga Peace Talks Sets Off Alarm Bells |
| 2005-06-13 |
| The much-hyped peace talks between Naga rebels and the Indian government to end a bloody revolt have virtually collapsed because of New Delhi's refusal to redraw provincial borders in the troubled northeast. Intelligence officials fear the breakdown of the talks will stoke the embers of violence. They said that separatist guerrillas will go on the rampage particularly after July 31 when the eight-year-long cease-fire between Nationalist Socialist Council of Nagaland and Indian security forces expires. Nagaland, where more than 25,000 people have lost their lives to insurgency since India's independence from Britain in 1947, is a majority Christian state of 3.5 million. On Saturday, NSCN General Secretary Thuningaleng Muivah said that he is so disappointed with the lack of progress in peace talks with Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Home Minister Shivraj Patil that he is returning to Amsterdam on June 24. |
| Posted by:Fred |