Bangkok: In a fresh boost to the Naga peace process, the Centre and major insurgent group Nationalist Social Council of Nagaland-Isaak/Muivah (NSCN-IM) on July 17 decided to extend the ceasefire in Nagaland by a year beyond July 31.

"We had very good but tough discussions. Both sides have agreed to extend the ceasefire by another year," Centre's emissary K Padmanabhaiah said after holding three days of talks with NSCN-IM general secretary T Muivah and eight other senior members of the outfit.

Padmanabhaiah, along with Intelligence Bureau chief K P Singh, had left New Delhi for the Thai capital earlier this week to carry out discussions with the NSCN-IM leadership on the issue of extension of ceasefire, which first came into force in 1997.

Padmanabhaiah and Singh held talks with Muivah and other key members of the outfit, including those from its Steering Committee, Indian officials in Bangkok said. NSCN-IM Chairman Isaak Chisi Swu was, however, was not present at the talks.

Meanwhile, Deputy Prime Minister L K Advani told reporters on July 16 that no special status has been given as yet to Naga Hoho, the apex tribal body of Nagas, as part of the on-going Naga peace process.

"Not so far," he said when asked if special status had been granted to the Naga Hoho as a move to further the peace process.

Advani replied in the negative when asked whether the attack by Myanmarese armed forces on the major camps of the NSCN (Khaplang) faction would affect the peace process.

During their visit to Delhi in January 2003 after a gap of over 30 years, Swu and Muivah had agreed to continue talks with the Centre till a "lasting settlement" to the decades-old Naga issue was reached. But there were indications then that differences persisted on major issues including the outfit's most contentious demand for unification of Naga-dominated areas.

PTI