Arunachal: NSCN (YA) takes responsibility for ex-MLA's death

Guwahati: The National Socialist Council of Nagaland (NSCN-YA) has claimed responsibility for the recent execution of former legislator Yumsen Matey, sparking outrage and concern in the region.

In a press release issued on Thursday, the NSCN-YA justified the execution, stating that Matey was "awarded capital punishment on 16/12/2023 due to his active involvement in all sorts of anti-NSCN activities."

Yumsen Matey, a former Congress legislator in Arunachal Pradesh, was shot dead by militants at Raho village in Tirap district close to the Myanmar border.

The insurgent group accused him of "masterminding Anti-NSCN propagandas and slogans in Tirap District of Arunachal Pradesh" and of conspiring against the NSCN/GPRN, the armed wing of the outfit.

The NSCN-YA defended its actions, claiming they exercised "maximum patience" for years despite Matey's alleged misdeeds "in the interest of the Naga public." However, they asserted that his continued "illegal activities" and attempts to "provoke" the NSCN/GPRN left them with no choice but to take "this extreme step."

The NSCN (YA) specifically denied any connection between the execution and the upcoming Arunachal Pradesh state assembly election, stating that the NSCN/GPRN "will never meddle in a petty Indian state politics."

The NSCN-YA concluded its statement with a stark warning to anyone else who might oppose their goals, declaring that "such individuals with anti-Naga characters cannot be tolerated and will not be spared even in the days to come."