Shillong, April 11: HNLC ‘s interlocutor for peace talks, Sadon K Blah said that they couldn’t put a deadline to start the formal peace talks.
“The peace talks cannot be rushed since it has been a struggle for almost 40 years. The delay to start the peace talks is due to some issues regarding the technicalities of the peace talks,” Blah told reporters.
He further said that the technicalities were not matters to be decided only by the HNLC and State Government since it also involved the Ministry of Home Affairs.
According to him, there are times when the HNLC and State Government are satisfied with some of the points of the technicalities of the talks but the Centre is not convinced.
HNLC representative said that the agendas of talks will be put forward once the peace talks begin.
Replying to a query, he said that both the Centre and state Government eager to see the HNLC peace talks take off.
When asked if the Commander-in-Chief of the HNLC, Bobby Marwein is also on board for the peace talks, he said that if the hierarchy of the HNLC were not involved in the peace process then it couldn’t move forward.
On the pending cases against the HNLC members, he said that when the talks got underway they could deliberate on the pending cases against HNLC cadres.
Blah reiterated that the focus at the moment was for the peace process to move forward.
HNLC representative said that safe passage of the leaders who are partaking in the peace talks is already there, adding that the state government has endorsed the safe passage.
When asked about amnesty, he said that these were the legal issues and right now they were talking about safe passage.
“We have seen that amnesty, ceasefire arrangement and rehabilitation are included when we look at the modalities to conduct the peace process in other parts of the Northeast region. These are technicalities which we are dealing with right now,” Blah said.
Replying to a query, he said that waving off criminal cases is a general plan within the amnesty relating to the rebel groups whether in India or other parts of the world.
According to him, so far amnesty we have not discussed at any level.
“Once the formal talks begin then we can deal with these criminal cases because amnesty is a must,” he said.
When reminded that former HNLC general secretary, late Cheristerfield Thangkhiew did not avail the rehabilitation package of the government, Blah mentioned that late Thangkhiew had neither participated in the peace process and he had not surrendered since he had retired from the organisation.
“So it is not befitting for him to claim for the rehabilitation since he has never surrendered. The peace process also has not begun,” Blah said.
According to him, they have not put any kind of discussion as far as the rehabilitation package.
When asked if it is an unconditional talks, HNLC representative said that a talk cannot be 100 percent unconditional.
“If it is unconditional then we don’t need to talk. There are political issues and agenda concerning the stand of the HNLC which has been there for the last 35 to 37 years,” he said.
Blah informed that the standstill agreement and instrument of accession is very much part of the negotiations.