Chin Groups of Myanmar

Zo Reunification Organisation (ZoRO) on Monday held a meeting with leaders of the interim Chinland government/Chinland Council of Chin state in Myanmar at Aizawl seeking reconciliation between the warring Chinland government/Council and the Chin Brotherhood during which ZoRO leaders expressed their intention to continue striving for unity amongst all the Chin groups. The meeting was chaired by ZoRO president R. Sangkawia and the Chinland Council delegation was led by chief minister of Chinland government Pu Pa Thang. In the meeting, ZoRO leaders said that as the natives of Chin state are of the same stock sharing the same culture, tradition and ancestry all the Chin groups in Chin state rather than fighting against each other must come together and united. They said that sporadic armed clashes between the blood brothers belonging to different groups was extremely unfortunate. “We are brothers and we cannot be apart not to speak of fighting against each other. ZoRO firmly believes that God willing and being belonging to same ancestry and nation, we will all be united under a single administration,” they said.

Chinland government/Chinland council leaders expressed gratitude and lauded the efforts made by ZoRO to unify all the ethnic Mizo groups, who are acknowledged by the Myanmar government as ‘Chins’. They said that they are always ready and willing to hold talks by sharing a negotiating table. “As we are all brothers and sisters, we do not want to fight each other and what we want is to co-exist peacefully with other groups belonging to the same ethnicity,” they added. A press statement issued by ZoRO said that it will continue to make all-out efforts to end fratricidal conflict between the Chinland government/Chinland Council and the Chin Brotherhood in Chin state of Myanmar. “We are planning to bring the delegations of Chinland Council/government and the Chin Brotherhood to hold parleys by sharing a negotiating table,” the statement said. Earlier, Chinland Council/government leaders and the Zomi Reunification Organisation (ZRO) had shared a negotiating table under the supervision of the ZoRO in Aizawl on July 27.

Chinland Council, controlling large areas in Chin state is a united force of Chin groups led by Chin National Front (CNF) and its armed wing Chin National Army (CNA) comprising over 15 civilian militia groups called Chin Defence Forces (CDF) belonging to different areas.      Chinland Council is the legislature of the self-governing polity while Chinland government is functioning as the state government of Chin state adjoining Mizoram. Chin Brotherhood is also an alliance of several armed Chin groups including Chin National Organisation (CNO) and its armed wing Chin National Defence Force (CNDF) as well as Chin National Council (CNC) and its military wing Chinland Defence Force (CNDF). The alliance’s close proximity with the Rakhine state-based Arakan Army (AA) is the main bone of contention with Chinland government as the latter accused the Brotherhood of providing safe haven to the AA militants in southern Chin state. EOM