Itanagar: Wangliam Lowang, a 19-year-old cadre of the Khaplang faction of the NSCN, surrendered before the district administration and police in Khonsa on Monday. Khonsa, the district headquarters of Tirap in Arunachal Pradesh, is around 318km from here.

In his statement, Wangliam, who was an active cadre of the NSCN (K) since 2016, said he decided to give up arms to live a simple and normal life with his parents and other family members.

When he was 17 and studying in class VIII at the Government Middle School, Changlang, he decided to join the NSCN (K).

His father, Wangmi Lowang, who was also an NSCN (K) member, was killed in an encounter between the underground outfit and security forces in Nampong under Changlang district in 2015.

"I am weak and not in good health. I have no future working for an underground group such as the NSCN (K). So I have decided to live a normal family life," Wangliam said.

Wangliam of Noglo village under Lazu administrative circle in Tirap district has so far not disclosed any information about his past activities. He was not carrying any weapon when he surrendered.

The formal surrender ceremony was attended by deputy commissioner P.N. Thungon, superintendent of police J.K. Meena, Noglo village chief Wanglet Lowang, commandant of 16 Assam Rifles and Wangliam's elder brother.

Tirap district is located in the south-eastern part of Arunachal Pradesh. It shares a boundary with Nagaland and Assam besides an international border with Myanmar.