Kohima, March 26: The Makury Naga Hoho said they were never members of the Khiamniungan community but were forced to be its members from October 14 last year.

A statement received here from Pok Chiusumiu, president of Makury Naga Hoho, Layshi Town, Naga self-administered zone, Myanmar, said the Khiamiungan Tribal Council had violated human rights by forcing the Makury people to be members of the Khiamniungan tribe.

The council, which had its headquarters in Noklak town under Tuensang district of Nagaland, claimed that 70 per cent of their people live in Myanmar. The Hoho said since time immemorial they have remained as Mukary tribe and, therefore, cannot become Khiamniungans overnight.

Pok said in October, the council had come to Thsoipu in Myanmar and forced them to become Khiamniungans. “There has been a clear history confirmed by secular historians like Grant Brown, Jaime Saul and Kyaw Win which prove that the Mukheotjuv area comprised four villages — Mekheotjuv old and new villages, Tipizuvnung and Metsongvong — that were the original territory of Makury Nagas,” the statement said.

The Hoho said there should not be confusion on the matter and that it would be inappropriate and impractical on the part of the council ordering the villagers to vacate the area for being Makury whereas the people have been there for centuries with the same identity.

“The MNH also wants to remind that Christianity in the Mukheotjuv area had started since 1965 with the visit of evangelist Rev. Yonglengjuv and officially the Church was founded in 1972 with a few baptised members. Later, it joined the Khiamniungfan Baptist Church Association in 1982 because of problems of communication with the Makury Baptist Association,” the statement said.