Naga rebel ceasefire warning

Naga women demonstrate in support of the ceasefire

Naga separatists rebels in north-eastern India have warned they might resume fighting after India announced it was to review a controversial truce with them.

How can the government take such a serious decision overnight to withdraw the truce?

N Krome of Naga People's Movement for Human Rights

The Indian Government announced on Sunday that it would it would reconsider a decision to extend a four-year truce with the tribal rebels in Nagaland to include Manipur and other states in the region.

A spokesman for National Socialist Council of Nagaland (NSCN) said they had no objection to reviewing the truce in Manipur, but if it was revoked in other states they would be compelled to go back to armed struggle.

The decision to extend the ceasefire beyond Nagaland sparked violent protests in Manipur, in which at least 15 people were killed.

Manipur, Assam, Arunachal Pradesh - all of which have their own ethnic Naga populations - fear they might lose territory in the creation of a greater Nagaland.

Unhappy with government

N Krome of the Naga People's Movement for Human Rights said Naga organisations would hold a meeting on 17 July to decide what to do if the government reviews the ceasefire.

Click here to see a map of the region

"Naga people are not happy with the government decision because it is difficult to understand the logic behind it," he said.

The decision to review the truce was taken at a meeting in Delhi chaired by Indian Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee and which included the home minister, senior government officials and leaders of major political parties from Manipur.

Groups organising the protests in Manipur against the truce said on Monday they would continue their agitation until the ceasefire was completely revoked.

The government in Delhi took the original decision to expand the ceasefire to other states in the region in order to encourage a peace process with the Naga rebels.

The outlawed National Socialist Council of Nagaland (NSCN), the largest armed group in the region, has been fighting for independence for local Naga tribesmen for half a century.

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