May 16, 2026
U Chin Maung, Chairman of the Peace Implementing Committee of the National Socialist Council of Nagaland-Khaplang/Anmai (NSCN-K/AM), told CNI News that the group primarily wishes to hold discussions with the Myanmar government regarding peace and stability in the Naga region.
He stated that although they are pursuing a path toward independence for the Naga people, their current priority is to meet and discuss with the government to ensure peace, stability, and regional development within the Naga area of Myanmar. He added that they welcome and wish to participate in the government's peace invitation.
"At present, the President has not directly invited us yet," U Chin Maung said. "However, we have submitted a letter to the President. Since we have submitted it, if they issue an official invitation, we have plans to attend their peace talks. As for our demands, we intend to table and discuss our envisioned path once we actually reach the negotiation table.
For the time being, as a Naga armed organization, our political goals naturally differ regarding the path to peace; our long-term political trajectory is toward independence. However, under the current circumstances, our main focus for discussion will be on regional stability and development. Since we are moving along a path aimed at peace in the current situation, we are prioritizing matters concerning our region's stability, regional development, education, and healthcare."
During his tenure as the Chairman of the State Security and Peace Commission, U Min Aung Hlaing previously stated that the government would provide necessary support for the development of the Naga Self-Administered Zone in Sagaing Region, an area experiencing very low levels of development in Myanmar.
As the NSCN-K/AM held a meeting with the Sagaing Region government during the SAC tenure.
On April 21, 2026, President U Min Aung Hlaing issued an invitation for peace talks, setting a deadline of July 31 for ethnic armed organizations (EAOs) to participate. This invitation extends to Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement (NCA) signatories, non-signatories, groups that signed the NCA but have not held talks between 2021 and 2025, and organizations with bilateral agreements.
U Shan Maw, Chairman of the Naga Traditional Culture Committee in Khamti Township, told CNI News that it is currently difficult to comment on how regional stability will unfold because the country's overall landscape and political situation remain uncertain.
"A negotiation committee is currently being formed, led by the cultural committee," U Shan Maw said. "We are trying our best to implement and form it as smoothly as possible. For now, it's a bit difficult to comment on the country's landscape and the political situation. This is because we don't yet know how the country will move forward. Everyone is just doing their best.
The leading bodies for the Self-Administered Zone have already been formed. However, we still don't know what directives will come from the state level, so it's a bit difficult to talk about it. Our main priority, though, is education—we want to prioritize education and healthcare services."
Although the government and the military have invited all ethnic armed groups to attend the peace talks, it is understood that the participation status of Shanni and Naga armed groups remains unclear.
U Anmai, leader of the NSCN-K/AM group.
The NSCN-K/AM has explicitly expressed its desire to engage in peace building by meeting and discussing with the government to foster development for the Naga region and its people.
The leader of the NSCN-K/AM previously served as a personal staff officer to the late NSCN-K Chairman S.S. Khaplang. He was also among the five NSCN-K leaders arrested by the Myanmar military in Khamti in 2019.
Following the death of Chairman Khaplang, when U Yung Aung took over the leadership of the NSCN-K, a majority of leaders, including U Anmai, were expelled from the group. Following their expulsion, the faction led by U Anmai established a new group called the NSCN-K/AM on July 2, 2023.
It is understood that the NSCN-K/AM desires to revive and discuss the region-level bilateral agreement signed between the Sagaing Region government and the NSCN-K back in 2009. Following that, they intend to pursue further steps toward Union-level talks and the NCA framework.
