GUWAHATI BUREAU

Guwahati: Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio on Monday demanded withdrawal of the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act (AFSPA) from the State immediately in the aftermath of an ambush by the army that left at least 14 villagers dead in Mon district late Saturday. A soldier was also killed in retaliatory attack by villagers.

"I have spoken to Union Home Minister. He is taking the matter very seriously. We are asking the Central government to remove AFSPA from Nagaland. This law has tarnished the image of our country," Rio said after attending the funeral of civilians killed in the firing incident at Oting village of Mon district that borders Myanmar.

Rio found an ally in Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad Sangma who also demanded repeal of the AFSPA.

The Nagaland Chief Minister assured villagers that his government would pursue and investigate the Saturday’s incident in association with the civil society members to ensure ‘justice’ to the families of the victims.

Rio said while the State Government would give compensation of Rs 5 lakh each to the families of the deceased villagers, Union Home Minister Amit Shah said the Centre would pay Rs 11 lakh as cpmpensation and  provide a government job to the family members of the victims. Mon is home to the Konyak tribe.

Most of Nagaland shut down on Monday to protest the killings. The influential Naga Students’ Federation (NSF) has asked the Centre to set up a court-monitored committee, headed by a retired Supreme Court judge to conduct a fair and impartial probe into the ambush by a special unit of the Army that went horribly wrong.

“Indiscriminate killing of innocent civilians is a reminder that the draconian AFSPA has to be revoked from all Naga-inhabited areas,” NSF general secretary Supuni Ng Philo said.

Expressing solidarity with the victims’ families, the Nagaland Baptist Church Council has called upon all its constituent member churches in the State to conduct special prayers on Tuesday morning. 

A host of Naga leaders also paid homage to the victims and demanded appropriate investigation into the incident to ensure justice to the families of the dead.

The Army in a statement said it “deeply regrets” the incident and that the matter was under at the highest level. It also said action would be taken against those responsible.

Eleven others were injured in separate incidents of firing in Mon district on Saturday and Sunday.