The first in-person meeting between armed separatist group Kuki-Chin National Front (KNF) and a peace establishment committee was held on Sunday amid heavy security.
The meeting was held at Munlaipara community center, 5km away from Ruma Sadar Upazila, at 11am.
Earlier, the KNF had held several video conferences with the peace establishment committee, but this was the first time that a direct meeting was held between the two sides.
The meeting, led by the committee chairman and Zilla Parishad Chairman Kya Shew Hla, was attended by seven members of the committee and five members of KNF.
Endar Lal Ang Lian, senior advisor to the president of KNF and team leader, represented KNF at the meeting.
Besides, government officials, police, security forces, and senior officials of intelligence agencies were also present.
"The KNF's six-point demand and the issue of bringing KNF members back to normal life were discussed in the meeting," Kya Shew Hla told reporters after the meeting.
"Dialogue between both sides took place in a very peaceful environment. The demands of KNF were discussed. But no decision was made," he added.
The next meeting will be held in December, he said.
Additional members of law enforcement agencies including police and the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) were deployed in the area before the meeting.
Four memorandums of understanding (MoU) were signed between the two sides during the long meeting on Sunday.
The 18-member peace establishment committee was formed in June this year with the leaders of various communities under the leadership of Zilla Parishad Chairman Kya Shew Hla to help KNF members return to normal life.
According to the understandings KNF will remain from taking up arms during the peace process and cooperate with the law enforcement agencies, the government will take all out effort so that Kuki people can return to homes. It said that KNF will send proposals to the authorities for the betterment of Kuki population in education, health, food and employment creation. These proposals will be dealt with utmost sincerity. The final understanding, according to sources, states that the next date for talks will be decided upon discussion among both sides.
Since November 15 last year, at least 548 people from 132 families have taken refuge in Mizoram due to the armed activities of KNF and operations by different security agencies to arrest its members.
On January 28, some 140 Marma women, men and children took refuge in Ruma Sadar from Mulpi Para, but they returned to their homes on February 5.
On March 10, around 220 people of 56 families from Barathli 4 Union of Rangamati's Bilaichhari took shelter in Tangchangya Reichha and Rowangchhari Sadar Upazila in fear of the armed activities by the KNF members.
The KNF surfaced on the scene last year after the Indian border forces arrested a dozen members with arms and ammunition in Mizoram.
