UNPO strongly condemns the recent drone strike on the Naga village of Khenmoi-Loiyi, situated near the Indo-Myanmar border, which resulted in the tragic deaths of two civilians, including an eight-year-old child, and left several others critically injured.
According to reports, a drone attack occurred on the evening of 21 October 2025 across the international boundary, allegedly carried out by Indian authorities, although this has yet to be confirmed. This strike marks a deeply concerning escalation of military action against civilian populations in Naga-inhabited areas, following a similar drone attack on July 13 on villages within the same region.
The targeting of civilian settlements represents a grave breach of international humanitarian and human rights law. Such actions not only endanger innocent lives, but also heighten tension and instability among already systematically discriminated communities in the region. This incident reflects a persistent pattern of disregard for the rights, safety, and dignity of the Naga people, a divided Indigenous population whose ancestral homeland spans across the imposed borders of India and Myanmar.
UNPO has repeatedly raised concerns before the United Nations about the systemic violence, the legacy of militarization through the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) in India, the lack of implementation of the Indo-Naga peace agreement, and the removal of the Freedom of Movement Regime across the Indo-Myanmar border. These measures, taken without consultation with the affected Peoples, have contributed to the isolation of the Naga people, eroded trust, and deepened insecurity. The recent drone attacks further aggravate the climate of fear and risk undermining the prospects for dialogue and peace.
As established in the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous People (UNDRIP), the Naga people must be accorded full rights, including Article 30, which prohibits military activities in the lands or territories of Indigenous Peoples without consultation with the Indigenous Peoples concerned, and Article 36, which requires States to ensure that Indigenous Peoples divided by international borders can maintain and develop cultural, political, economic, and social relations across those borders.
Among Naga CSOs, the Global Naga Forum condemned this attack, raising concerns about a deliberate pattern of targeting Naga civilians on Naga ancestral land. UNPO underscores that these drone strikes not only contravene international conventions but also jeopardize the fragile foundations for reconciliation and coexistence between Indigenous Naga communities and the States. The continued implementation of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) in Naga-inhabited areas, the unilateral scrapping of the Freedom of Movement Regime and the construction of the Indo-Myanmar border fence without Indigenous consultation have isolated Naga communities, exacerbating their vulnerability.
UNPO expresses its deepest condolences to the families of the victims, Eli Phiphot Wangsa and Eno Khampei Wangsa, the injured, and the wider Naga community mourning this loss. UNPO calls upon both the Governments of India and Myanmar, as well as international actors, to take immediate steps toward accountability and dialogue, and stresses the need for de-escalation and restraining by all parties to prevent the further deterioration of the situation in the region.
A peaceful and rights-based approach remains the only path to durable security and justice.
