India

Background

Armed conflicts involving one or more armed non-State actors (NSAs) are ongoing in Kashmir, central and northeast India. In northeast India alone, more than 100 NSAs of various sizes operate, primarily in Assam, Tripura, Nagaland, Arunachal Pradesh, and Manipur states. The nature of these conflicts is predominately ethnic in origin, with tribal peoples pitted against the government (both local and central), non-tribal migrants and other tribal groups.

Women are particularly vulnerable to abuse. In addition, anti-personnel (AP) mines have been used by some NSAs, particularly in Assam and Manipur. Only a few NSAs are currently in dialogue with the government to pursue a peaceful resolution to their particular conflict.

Activities

Geneva Call has been engaging NSAs in an AP mine ban in Northeast India since 2003, in cooperation with the Indian Campaign to Ban Landmines and other local civil society actors. To date, 3 NSAs have signed the Deed of Commitment banning AP mines:

• the National Socialist Council of Nagalim - Isac/Muivah faction (NSCN-IM), 2003.
• the Kuki National Organisation (KNO), 2006.
• the Zomi Re-unification Organisation (ZRO), 2009.
  
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A series of mine ban advocacy workshops were held between 2005 and 2006 as part of the project’s outreach activities. These workshops have sensitised civil society on the AP mine issue and facilitated establishing contact with various other NSAs. Engagement work, as well as support for and monitoring of AP mine ban commitments, is ongoing.
 
For further information:

Geneva Call, 2009, , Press Release, 4 March.

National Socialist Council of Nagalim (NSCN-IM), 2009, , January 18.

Geneva Call, 2006, , Report of the landmine ban awareness raising workshop co-organized in Agartala, Tripura, India, in October 2006 by Geneva Call, the Indian Campaign to Ban Landmines/Indian Initiative for Peace, Disarmament and Environmental Protection, and the Indigenous Tribal People’s Development Center, 17 December.

Geneva Call, 2006, , Report of the landmine ban awareness raising workshop co-organized in Imphal, Manipur, India, in October 2006 by Geneva Call, the Indian Campaign to Ban Landmines/Indian Initiative for Peace, Disarmament and Environmental Protection, and the Manipur Committee for Social Concern, 17 October.

Press Trust of India, 2006,, 10 August.

Geneva Call, 2006, , Press Release, 9 August.

Geneva Call, 2006, , Report of the landmine ban awareness raising workshop co-organized in Guwahati, Assam, India, in February 2006 by Geneva Call, the Indian Campaign to Ban Landmines/Indian Initiative for Peace, Disarmament, and Environmental Protection and Citizen's Collective, 18 February.

Geneva Call, 2005, , Report of the workshop co-organized in Dimapur, Nagaland, India on 16 March 2005 by the Indian Campaign to Ban Landmines, the Indian Institute for Peace Disarmament and Environmental Protection, Geneva Call, and the Naga Council and the Hope Society.

Geneva Call, 2003, ,17 October.