Why Myanmar Naga students are alarmed over Kachin aggression

The Naga Students’ Organization, Myanmar (NSO), has raised serious concerns over the growing hostility of the Kachin Independence Army (KIA) toward Naga civilians and students.

Tensions between the Kachin Independence Army (KIA) and the Naga communities in northern Myanmar have escalated sharply, amid mounting apprehensions over forced conscription, labour exploitation, and rights abuses.

In a statement issued on July 22, the Naga Students’ Organization, Myanmar (NSO), raised serious concerns over the growing hostility of the Kachin Independence Army (KIA) toward Naga civilians and students. The statement describes recent actions by the KIA as “unprovoked acts of aggression” and warns that continued violence will further fracture the historic amity between the Kachin and Naga peoples.

The warning follows an incident on July 18, when KIA troops captured 16 NSCN-K (YA) personnel near Talu and Lungyone villages—territory the NSO asserts lies within ancestral Naga lands west of the Tanai River. The NSO described the raid as a “blatant act of hostility” and questioned whether it amounts to a de facto declaration of war.

“Forced Conscription”
The NSO’s statement focuses on the increasing vulnerability faced by ordinary Naga civilians, especially students, jade and gold mine workers, and those traveling for employment and healthcare.

Since the 2021 military coup, much of the Naga Self-Administered Zone (NSAZ) and the wider Sagaing Region have seen the collapse of public education, largely due to the nationwide Civil Disobedience Movement. This vacuum led many Naga youth to seek schooling and job opportunities in neighbouring Kachin State, perceived as more stable, as the Kachin Independence Organization (KIO), together with the KIA, effectively administered much of Kachin State.

But that perception has shifted drastically. According to the NSO, harassment, detention, and abduction of Naga students and workers have spiked. “Naga youths are forcibly taken from gold and jade mines, from their homes, and from border Naga villages under Kachin State,” the statement read. Many families in Lahe and surrounding areas now report missing children, fueling fears of forced conscription.

Migrant Naga workers are reportedly coerced into labour in KIA-affiliated jade mines, often without proper safety protocols or compensation. Some of the detained youths have allegedly been used as human shields during clashes with the Myanmar military or rival ethnic armed forces, while others have simply vanished.

“These are acts of direct insult and provocation—acts of war against the peace-loving Nagas,” said the NSO, calling for international intervention.

Broken Dialogue, Rising Tensions
The NSO recounts a failed attempt to engage in peaceful dialogue with the KIA leaders last year. A delegation from Lahe traveled to Takhet Naga village under Shin Bwi Yan Township in June 2024 to address the rising hostilities. The team, however, was denied a meeting with senior KIA officials and returned without meaningful assurances. “We returned in good faith, believing the KIA might choose the path of peace. However, the aggression has only intensified,” the statement said.

The July 18 ambush at Chanra Gate was cited as a breaking point. The organization is now demanding the immediate and unconditional release of all captured personnel and confiscated weapons, warning that any delay or harm inflicted “will be viewed as a direct escalation of conflict.”

Historic Alliance Under Strain
Historically, the Kachin and Naga peoples have shared a deep-rooted alliance grounded in ethnic solidarity, mutual resistance to the centralized Burmese state, and shared aspirations for autonomy. This relationship, particularly strengthened in the aftermath of Myanmar’s 2021 coup, now appears to be unraveling amid regional rivalries.

“The Nagas, bound by ancestral duty and national pride, will no longer tolerate repeated assaults on our dignity, freedom, or sovereignty,” the statement declared. “The Nagas are not at fault. It will be the Kachins, through the actions of the KIA, who have chosen a path of confrontation.”

With dialogue stalled and civilian lives at growing risk, the potential for wider ethnic conflict looms large. Students seeking education, families depending on mining incomes, and villages straddling the Kachin-Naga border are bearing the brunt of a deepening crisis.

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