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The Chin people (, ) are a Southeast Asian people native to
Chin State Chin State (, ) is a state in western Myanmar. The Chin State is bordered by Sagaing Division and Magway Division to the east, Rakhine State to the south, Bangladesh to the south-west, and the Indian states of Mizoram to the west and Manipur t ...
and its neighbouring states of
Myanmar Myanmar, ; UK pronunciations: US pronunciations incl. . Note: Wikipedia's IPA conventions require indicating /r/ even in British English although only some British English speakers pronounce r at the end of syllables. As John C. Wells, Joh ...
.Head, Jonathan
Burma's 'abused Chin need help'
''BBC News'', Jan 28, 2009, accessed Jan 28, 2009 The Chin are one of the founding groups (Chin, Kachin, Shan and
Bamar The Bamar (, ; also known as the Burmans) are a Sino-Tibetan ethnic group native to Myanmar (formerly Burma) in Southeast Asia. With approximately 35 million people, the Bamar make up the largest ethnic group in Myanmar, constituting 68% of th ...
) of the
Union of Burma Union commonly refers to: * Trade union, an organization of workers * Union (set theory), in mathematics, a fundamental operation on sets Union may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Music * Union (band), an American rock group ** ''Un ...
. The Chin speak a variety of related languages, share elements of cultures and traditions. According to the British state media
BBC News BBC News is an operational business division of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) responsible for the gathering and broadcasting of news and current affairs in the UK and around the world. The department is the world's largest broadca ...
, "The Chin people... are one of the most persecuted minority groups in Burma." These people predominantly live in the Chin State,
Bago Division Bago Region ( my, ပဲခူးတိုင်းဒေသကြီး, ; formerly Pegu Division and Bago Division) is an administrative region of Myanmar, located in the southern central part of the country. It is bordered by Magway Region a ...
,
Ayeyarwady Division Ayeyarwady Region ( my, ဧရာဝတီတိုင်းဒေသကြီး , , ; formerly Ayeyarwady Division and Irrawaddy Division), is a region of Myanmar, occupying the delta region of the Ayeyarwady River (Irrawaddy River). It is bor ...
,
Magwe Division Magway Region ( my, မကွေးတိုင်းဒေသကြီး, ; formerly Magway Division) is an administrative division in central Myanmar. It is the second largest of Myanmar's seven divisions, with an area of . Pa Del Dam (ပဒ ...
,
Rakhine State Rakhine State (; , , ; formerly known as Arakan State) is a Administrative divisions of Myanmar, state in Myanmar (Burma). Situated on the western coast, it is bordered by Chin State to the north, Magway Region, Bago Region and Ayeyarwady R ...
and
Sagaing Region Sagaing Region ( my, စစ်ကိုင်းတိုင်းဒေသကြီး, ; formerly Sagaing Division) is an administrative region of Myanmar, located in the north-western part of the country between latitude 21° 30' north and lon ...
of Myanmar, but are also spread throughout
Burma Myanmar, ; UK pronunciations: US pronunciations incl. . Note: Wikipedia's IPA conventions require indicating /r/ even in British English although only some British English speakers pronounce r at the end of syllables. As John Wells explai ...
,
Bangladesh Bangladesh (}, ), officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh, is a country in South Asia. It is the eighth-most populous country in the world, with a population exceeding 165 million people in an area of . Bangladesh is among the mos ...
and
India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...
. In the 2014 Burmese ethnic census, the Chin ethnicity was again dismissed by the people of the Chin State. It is to be noted that the
Mizo people The Mizo people ( Mizo: ''Mizo hnam'') are an ethnic group native to the Indian state of Mizoram and neighbouring regions of Northeast India. The term covers several related ethnic groups or clans inside the Mizo group. All Mizo tribes and cla ...
in Mizoram, India and the Chin are both
Chin-Kuki-Mizo people The Zomi are an ethnic group which can be found in India, Myanmar and in Chittagong hill tracks of Bangladesh. The word Zomi is used to describe an ethnic group, which is also known as the Chin, the Mizo, the Kuki, or a number of other name ...
, who share the same history with each other. The difference in name and dispersal across international borders resulted from a British colonial policy that drew borders on political grounds rather than ethnic ones. This page mainly focuses on the Chin people, who live in areas that became part of Burma and later Myanmar. During the era of British rule, the colonial government used the compound term 'Chin-Kuki-Mizo' to group the Kukish language speaking people, and the
Indian government The Government of India (ISO 15919, ISO: ; often abbreviated as GoI), known as the Union Government or Central Government but often simply as the Centre, is the Government, national government of the Republic of India, a federal democracy lo ...
inherited this nomenclature. More recently the word Zomi has been rejected by some in favor of Chin. Some Chin nationalists now consider that Chin would mean subtle Paite domination of Chin, Kuki and Chin identity, which other groups like
Hmar Hmar may refer to: *Hmars or Hmar people *Hmar language Hmar language, also known by its endonym Khawsak Ṭawng, belongs to the Kukish branch of the Sino-Tibetan family of languages. The speakers of the language are also known as Hmar. Acc ...
s, Chins (Chinmi), and Koms may not use.


Etymology

The term 'Chin' initially as used by the Burmese in Myanmar referred to all the hill tribes in the western frontier of Myanmar. However, in India the hill tribes are divided into two groups i.e. Chin-Kuki and Naga. The Kukis generally live to the south of the Nagas. The term now generally refer only to the majority
Chin-Kuki-Mizo The Kuki-Chin languages (also called Kuki-Chin-Mizo, Kukish or South-Central Tibeto-Burman languages) are a branch of 50 or so Sino-Tibetan languages spoken in northeastern India, western Myanmar and southeastern Bangladesh. Most speakers of the ...
speaking communities of Myanmar since many of the similar tribes have rejected the name as foreign. Alternatively, the Chin-Kuki-Mizo use the original name of the people ‘Chinlung/Khul/Sinlung’. It goes by different pronunciations through the respective languages’ evolution to Yaw, Jou, Zou, Cho, Qin, Zy etc.


History and politics

The Chin people are believed to have come to Burma via the Chindwin Valley in the late ninth or tenth century A.D. They moved westward, and are thought to have settled in the present Chin State around 1300-1400. The Chin practice oral traditions and do not have written historical records. The
British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies. ** Britishness, the British identity and common culture * British English, ...
first conquered Burma in 1824, established rule in 1886, and remained in power until Burma's independence in 1948. The 1896 'Pakokku Chin Hills Regulation Act' stated that the British would govern the Chins separately from the rest of Burma, which allowed for traditional Chin chiefs to remain in power while Britain was still allotted power via indirect rule (Human Rights Watch, 2009). Burma's independence from Britain in 1948 coincided with the Chin people adopting a
democratic government Democracy (From grc, δημοκρατία, dēmokratía, ''dēmos'' 'people' and ''kratos'' 'rule') is a form of government in which the people have the authority to deliberate and decide legislation ("direct democracy"), or to choose gover ...
rather than continuing its traditional rule of chiefs. The government did not allow the celebration Chin National Day. Instead of Chin National Day, Chin State Day is celebrated on February 20, the day that marked the transition from traditional to democratic rule in the Chin State (Center for Applied Linguistics, 2007). The newfound democracy of Chin State ended abruptly in 1962 with the onset of the military rule of
General Ne Win Ne Win ( my, နေဝင်း ; 10 July 1910, or 14 or 24 May 1911 – 5 December 2002) was a Burmese politician and military commander who served as Prime Minister of Burma from 1958 to 1960 and 1962 to 1974, and also President of Burma f ...
in Burma (Center for Applied Linguistics, 2007).
Ne Win Ne Win ( my, နေဝင်း ; 10 July 1910, or 14 or 24 May 1911 – 5 December 2002) was a Burmese politician and military commander who served as Prime Minister of Burma from 1958 to 1960 and 1962 to 1974, and also President of Burma ...
remained in power until 1988, when nationwide protests against military rule erupted. These uprisings, commonly known as the 8888 because of the date on which they occurred, were met by an outburst of violence from the
military government A military government is generally any form of government that is administered by military forces, whether or not this government is legal under the laws of the jurisdiction at issue, and whether this government is formed by natives or by an occup ...
. The violent government response killed approximately 3,000 people in just a matter of weeks and imprisoned many more (Human Rights Watch, 2009). It was during this period of resistance to military rule that the
Chin National Front The Chin National Front ( my, ချင်းအမျိုးသားတပ်ဦး; CNF) is a Chin nationalist political organization in Myanmar. According to its website, its armed wing, the Chin National Army (CNA), fights the government of ...
(CNF) and its armed branch, the
Chin National Army The Chin National Army ( my, ချင်းအမျိုးသားတပ်မတော်; abbreviated CNA) is a Chin ethnic armed organisation in Myanmar (Burma). It is the armed wing of the Chin National Front (CNF), and was founded on ...
(CNA), gained momentum (Human Rights Watch, 2009). In 2012, the Chin National Army organized a ceasefire with the
Burma Myanmar, ; UK pronunciations: US pronunciations incl. . Note: Wikipedia's IPA conventions require indicating /r/ even in British English although only some British English speakers pronounce r at the end of syllables. As John Wells explai ...
military. In 2015, the Chin National Army (CNA) signed a National Ceasefire Agreement (NCA).


Divisions


Tribes

There are many tribes among the Chin people, such as the Zomi, Lai,
Zanniat The Zanniat tribe are people of western Myanmar (Burma) who are a sub-group of the Chin peoples. The Zanniat tribe has fifty-seven sub-groupings and clans. The group's existence was recorded (along with three of its many sub-groups) in Burma's 193 ...
, Yaw, Yindu, Senthang, Ngawn, Mizo, Zotung, Daai, Thadou (Kuki), Khami Mro-Khimi (Wakung), Matu, Hmar, Asho, Cho, Mara. The word "Chin" comes from “Chinlung”, which is believed to be a cave, where their ancestors once lived. A Chin scholar, Lian Uk in 1968, define the term “Chin” and similar names as “people”, further stating that the name “Chinland” means Ourland. Chin people are scattered between three countries, namely India, Burma (Myanmar) and Bangladesh. In India, the Chin people live in the state of Mizoram and a sizable population of Chin live in
Churachandpur Churachandpur ( Meitei pronunciation: ''/tʃʊraːˌtʃaːnɗpʊr/'') is the district headquarter of the Churachandpur District in the Indian state of Manipur. It is named after the Meitei King Churachand Singh, the Maharaja of Manipur Kingdom. ...
district of
Manipur Manipur () ( mni, Kangleipak) is a state in Northeast India, with the city of Imphal as its capital. It is bounded by the Indian states of Nagaland to the north, Mizoram to the south and Assam to the west. It also borders two regions of Myanm ...
, consisting of smaller tribes such as the
Hmar Hmar may refer to: *Hmars or Hmar people *Hmar language Hmar language, also known by its endonym Khawsak Ṭawng, belongs to the Kukish branch of the Sino-Tibetan family of languages. The speakers of the language are also known as Hmar. Acc ...
, Paite, and others. The Bawm tribe in southern
Mizoram State Mizoram () is a state in Northeast India, with Aizawl as its seat of government and capital city. The name of the state is derived from " Mizo", the self-described name of the native inhabitants, and "Ram", which in the Mizo language means "lan ...
and
Bangladesh Bangladesh (}, ), officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh, is a country in South Asia. It is the eighth-most populous country in the world, with a population exceeding 165 million people in an area of . Bangladesh is among the mos ...
is a sub-group Lai tribe. Some of the Chin live in
Rakhine State Rakhine State (; , , ; formerly known as Arakan State) is a Administrative divisions of Myanmar, state in Myanmar (Burma). Situated on the western coast, it is bordered by Chin State to the north, Magway Region, Bago Region and Ayeyarwady R ...
and most of them are Cumtu, Asho, Kongtu and Laitu. They are living in
Myebon Myebon ( my, မြေပုံမြို့ Myebon Township) is a town of Mrauk-U District in Rakhine State, Myanmar Myanmar, ; UK pronunciations: US pronunciations incl. . Note: Wikipedia's IPA conventions require indicating /r/ even ...
,
Minbya Minbya (Mongbra) ( my, မင်းပြားမြို့, ) is a town in Rakhine State, in the westernmost part of Myanmar Myanmar, ; UK pronunciations: US pronunciations incl. . Note: Wikipedia's IPA conventions require indicating ...
,
Ann Anne, alternatively spelled Ann, is a form of the Latin female given name Anna. This in turn is a representation of the Hebrew Hannah, which means 'favour' or 'grace'. Related names include Annie. Anne is sometimes used as a male name in the ...
,
Thandwe Thandwe ("Thandway" in Arakanese; ; formerly Sandoway) is a town and major seaport in Rakhine State, the westernmost part of Myanmar. Thandwe is very ancient, and is said to have been at one time the capital of Rakhine State, then called Arakan. ...
and Gwa. Among them, the majority is Cumtu Chin. The Chin speak several languages,
Kukish The Kuki-Chin languages (also called Kuki-Chin-Mizo, Kukish or South-Central Tibeto-Burman languages) are a branch of 50 or so Sino-Tibetan languages spoken in northeastern India, western Myanmar and southeastern Bangladesh. Most speakers of the ...
,
Naga Naga or NAGA may refer to: Mythology * Nāga, a serpentine deity or race in Hindu, Buddhist and Jain traditions * Naga Kingdom, in the epic ''Mahabharata'' * Phaya Naga, mythical creatures believed to live in the Laotian stretch of the Mekong Riv ...
and Maraic languages;
Ethnologue ''Ethnologue: Languages of the World'' (stylized as ''Ethnoloɠue'') is an annual reference publication in print and online that provides statistics and other information on the living languages of the world. It is the world's most comprehensiv ...
lists 49 languages in this group, of which 20 contain the word "Chin" in their name.


Present-day ethnic groups

There are several tribes within Chin people. For example: Cumtu,
Zomi The Zomi are an ethnic group which can be found in India, Myanmar and in Chittagong hill tracks of Bangladesh. The word Zomi is used to describe an ethnic group, which is also known as the Chin people, Chin, the Mizo people, Mizo, the Kuki peop ...
,
Mara_people, Mara,_ Yaw,__Asho,_
Cho Cho or CHO may refer to: People * Chief Happiness Officer Surnames * Cho (Korean surname), one romanization of the common Korean surname * Zhuo (), romanized Cho in Wade–Giles, Chinese surname * Cho, a Minnan romanization of the Chinese sur ...
,_ Kuki,_Laimi,_ Mizo,_Zotung_and_ Khumi._Each_Tribe_has_hundreds_of_clans_and_family_tree._Although_the_word_"Chin"_is_absent_among_the_Chin_language,_it_is_found_to_be_used_by_these_people_since_the_8th_century._Therefore,_the_majority_of_people_living_in_Chin_State_accepted_the_name_"Chin".


_Attempts_at_unification

The_realization_that_the_Zomi_are_one_group_that_share_common_dialectical_roots_and_customs_despite_separation_by_international_and_state_boundaries,_brought_about_movements_for_unification_of_the_occupied_territories_and_of_the_people._One_of_the_first_movements_was_the_ Mizo_National_Movement_which_ended_with_the_formation_of_the_
Mizoram_State Mizoram () is a state in Northeast India, with Aizawl as its seat of government and capital city. The name of the state is derived from " Mizo", the self-described name of the native inhabitants, and "Ram", which in the Mizo language means "lan ...
_in_India. *_The_re-unification_of_the_Chin-Kuki-Mizo_people_in_the_
Chin_Hills The Chin Hills are a range of mountains in Chin State, northwestern Burma, Burma (Myanmar), that extends northward into India's Manipur state. Geography The highest peak in the Chin Hills is Khonu Msung, or Mount Victoria, in southern Chin State ...
,_Manipur_Hills,_Biate_Hills,_Hmar_Hills,_Riam_Hills,_ Rakhaing_Hills,_Lakher_Hills,_Yaw_plains,_ Lushai_Hill,_Chindwin_plains_and_the_ Chittagong_Hill_area_arouse_in_1990_with_the_
Zomi_Revolutionary_Army The Zomi Revolutionary Army ( my, ဇိုမီး တော်လှန်ရေး တပ်မတော်; abbreviated ZRA) is an armed Zomi nationalist insurgent group formed in 1997, following an increase in ethnic tensions between the ...
._It_is_an_armed_group_in_Manipur_ Manipur_()_(_mni,_Kangleipak)_is_a_state_in_Northeast_India,_with_the_city_of_Imphal_as_its_capital._It_is_bounded_by_the_Indian_states_of_Nagaland_to_the_north,_Mizoram_to_the_south_and_Assam_to_the_west._It_also_borders_two_regions_of_Myanm_...
,_India.


_Culture


_Chin_National_Day

The_Chin_National_Day_is_celebrated_annually_on_February_20,_which_is_the_day_the_Chin_people_abolished_the_slavery_system_or_chieftainship._The_first_Chin_National_Day_was_celebrated_in_1951_at_
Mindat Mindat may refer to: Places in Burma/Myanmar *Mindat, Chin State, in Burma *Mindat Township, in Burma *Mindat District in Chin State, Burma Other uses *Mindat Min Kanaung Mintha ( my, ကနောင်မင်းသား; 31 January 1820 ...
.__People_display_many_traditional_dance_such_as_bamboo_dance,_Sarlam_(conquest_dance),_Khuangcawi(a_lady_is_lifted_by_a_crowd),_ Ruakhatlak/Cherua_and_many_other_dances_from_each_group._One_of_the_big_events_on_Chin_National_Day_is_the_traditional_wrestling_(Lai_Paih).__There_is_also_Miss_competition_from_each_town_or_city_in_Chin_State._Other_events,_such_as_fashion_shows_and_singing_also_take_place_in_Chin_National_Day.__Traditional_food,_such_as_Sabuti/Sabaktui_(_hominy_corn_soup)_and_Chang_(rice_cake)_are_served.


_Clothing

There_are_several_tradition_dresses_such_as_
Matu The Matu District is a district in Mukah Division, Sarawak, Malaysia. Before Mukah Division was established, Matu was within Sibu Division. There are more than 20 villages in the district, with Melanau Melanau or ''A-Likou'' (meaning River ...
,_
Falam Falam (, ) is a town in north-western Burma (Myanmar) near Burma's western border with the Indian state of Mizoram. The town was founded by Taisun tribe. The British arrived to Falam in 1892, and became an important base for British rule of the ...
,_
Tedim Tedim (, , ( Zo: ''Tedim Khawpi'', pronounced ; is a town in and the administrative seat of Tedim Township, Chin State, in the north-western part of Burma. It is the second largest town in Chin State. The town's four major boroughs (''vengte'') a ...
,_ Zo,_Tapong,_ Zotung,_
Mindat Mindat may refer to: Places in Burma/Myanmar *Mindat, Chin State, in Burma *Mindat Township, in Burma *Mindat District in Chin State, Burma Other uses *Mindat Min Kanaung Mintha ( my, ကနောင်မင်းသား; 31 January 1820 ...
,_ Mara_people, Mara,_etc._The_main_colors_use_for_these_traditional_dresses_are_red,_green_and_black._Accessories_such_as_bracelets,_necklaces,_hairpins_and_rings_also_play_a_huge_role_when_it_comes_to_traditional_clothing_as_they_complete_the_overall_looks_of_the_Chin._Chin_people_do_not_wear_these_clothes_in_daily_life._They_wear_these_on_special_occasions_like_Sundays,_weddings
Chin_National_Day
and_any_other_important_occasions


_Sports

Wrestling Wrestling is a series of combat sports involving grappling-type techniques such as clinch fighting, throws and takedowns, joint locks, pins and other grappling holds. Wrestling techniques have been incorporated into martial arts, combat ...
_is_a_part_of_the_Chin_people's_tradition.
Chin_United_F.C. Chin United Football Club is a Burmese football club. The club is based in Chin State and is one of the two teams representing the state along with GFA FC. The club is composed mostly of Chin players, who claimed to have faced ethnic prejudice ...
_represents_the_Chin_people_in_Burmese_
association_football Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a team sport played between two teams of 11 players who primarily use their feet to propel the ball around a rectangular field called a pitch. The objective of the game is ...
._The_club_play_in_the_
Myanmar_National_League The MPT Myanmar National League ( my, မြန်မာ နေရှင်နယ် လိဂ်; abbreviated MNL) is the premier national professional football league of Myanmar. In 2009, the league replaced the Myanmar Premier League, which co ...
.


_Language

There_are_31_different_varieties_of_the_Chin_language,_which_are_also_spoken_in_India_and_Bangladesh._The_largest_varieties_in_three_countries_are: *_Mizo_Chin_along_with_Lusei,_Hualngo,_Hmar_estimated_1,000,000+ *_Zomi_Tedim_Chin_with_an_estimated_344,000_speakers *_Thadou_Kuki_Chin_estimated_300,000 *_Asho_Chin_200,000-300,000 *_Falam_Chin_with_an_estimated_50,300_speakers *_Haka_Chin_(Hakha)_with_an_estimated_125,000_speakers *_Matu_Chin_25,000_speakers *_Khumi_Chin_90,000 *_Mara_Chin_with_an_estimated_50,000_speakers *_Cho_Chin_60,000 *_Zotung_Chin_35,000 There_are_also_many_different_accents_among_the_same_dialects._Many_Chin_people,_especially_students_also_speak_Burmese,_since_it_is_the_primary_official_language_in_Myanmar_ Myanmar,_;_UK_pronunciations:__US_pronunciations_incl._._Note:_Wikipedia's_IPA_conventions_require_indicating_/r/_even_in_British_English_although_only_some_British_English_speakers_pronounce_r_at_the_end_of_syllables._As_John_C._Wells,_Joh_...
_and_it_is_taught_in_school.


_Religion

Traditionally,_the_Chin_peoples_were_
animist Animism (from Latin: ' meaning 'breath, Soul, spirit, life') is the belief that objects, places, and creatures all possess a distinct Spirituality, spiritual essence. Potentially, animism perceives all things—Animal, animals, Plant, plants, Ro ...
s._However,_in_the_late_1800s,_the_first_Christian_missionaries_arrived_in_the_Chin_State,_and_began_sharing_the_message_of_
Christianity Christianity is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth. It is the world's largest and most widespread religion with roughly 2.38 billion followers representing one-third of the global pop ...
_with_indigenous_people.__Due_to_the_work_of_the_
Baptist Baptists form a major branch of Protestantism distinguished by baptizing professing Christian believers only (believer's baptism), and doing so by complete immersion. Baptist churches also generally subscribe to the doctrines of soul compete ...
_Arthur_E._Carson,_their_efforts_were_successful,_and_today_the_majority_of_Chin_are_Christians,_with_most_belonging_to_
Protestant Protestantism is a Christian denomination, branch of Christianity that follows the theological tenets of the Reformation, Protestant Reformation, a movement that began seeking to reform the Catholic Church from within in the 16th century agai ...
_denominations,_especially_Baptist.David_Shavit
"The_United_States_in_Asia:_A_Historical_Dictionary"
_Retrieved_2012-05-13._Many_Chin_people_have_served_as_evangelists_and_pastors,_ministering_in_places_such_as_the_United_States,_Australia,_Guam,_and_India. The_Chin_people's_adoption_of_Christianity_was_not_followed_by_the_rest_of_Burma,_and,_since_independence,_the_military_government_has_persecuted_the_Chin_people_on_religious_grounds. Christianity_grew_from_35%_in_1966_to_90%_in_2010. Since_the_late_20th_century,_a_group_of_Chin,_Kuki,_and_Mizo_peoples_claim_descent_from_
Bnei_Menashe The Bnei Menashe ( he, בני מנשה, "Children of Menasseh", known as the Shinlung in India) is a community of people from various Tibeto-Burmese ethnic groups from the border of India and Burma who claim descent from one of the Lost Tribes ...
,_one_of_the_
Lost_Tribes_of_Israel The ten lost tribes were the ten of the Twelve Tribes of Israel that were said to have been exiled from the Kingdom of Israel after its conquest by the Neo-Assyrian Empire BCE. These are the tribes of Reuben, Simeon, Dan, Naphtali, Gad, Ashe ...
_and_have_adopted_the_practice_of_
Judaism Judaism ( he, ''Yahăḏūṯ'') is an Abrahamic, monotheistic, and ethnic religion comprising the collective religious, cultural, and legal tradition and civilization of the Jewish people. It has its roots as an organized religion in the ...
.


_Human_rights_violations_against_Chin_peoples

The_Chin_people_in_Myanmar_are_one_of_the_minority_ethnic_groups_that_have_suffered_widespread_and_ongoing_ethnic_and_religious_persecution_ever_since_General_Ne_Win_overthrew_the_democratically_elected_government_in_1962._The_predominant_religion_in_Myanmar_is_
Buddhism Buddhism ( , ), also known as Buddha Dharma and Dharmavinaya (), is an Indian religion or philosophical tradition based on teachings attributed to the Buddha. It originated in northern India as a -movement in the 5th century BCE, and gra ...
,_however,_the_Chin_people_are_largely_Christian_due_to_American_missionary_work_in_the_19th_and_20th_century._This_has_led_to_continuous_attempts_at_forced_assimilation._There_have_been_recorded_numerous_crimes_against_humanity_in_Myanmar's_western_Chin_state,_committed_mainly_by_the_
Tatmadaw Tatmadaw (, , ) is the official name of the armed forces of Myanmar (formerly Burma). It is administered by the Ministry of Defence and composed of the Myanmar Army, the Myanmar Navy and the Myanmar Air Force. Auxiliary services include th ...
_(members_of_the_Burmese_Army)_and_police;_however,_other_agents_of_the_military_government_and_the_
State_Peace_and_Development_Council The State Peace and Development Council ( my, နိုင်ငံတော် အေးချမ်းသာယာရေး နှင့် ဖွံ့ဖြိုးရေး ကောင်စီ ; abbreviated SPDC or , ) was the offi ...
_(SPDC)_are_also_involved._Despite_continued_persecution,_little_has_been_done_on_the_part_of_the_Chin_people_to_speak_out_due_to_fear_of_reprisal,_restrictions_on_travel,_and_the_press_imposed_by_the_Burmese_military_regime._In_their_oppression_of_the_Chin_people,_the_Tatmadaw_consistently_violate_the_rule_of_law._The_Chin_people_have_been_subject_to_
forced_labor Forced labour, or unfree labour, is any work relation, especially in modern or early modern history, in which people are employed against their will with the threat of destitution, detention, violence including death, or other forms of ex ...
,_
torture Torture is the deliberate infliction of severe pain or suffering on a person for reasons such as punishment, extracting a confession, interrogation for information, or intimidating third parties. Some definitions are restricted to acts c ...
,_ arbitrary_arrests,_
unlawful_detention False imprisonment or unlawful imprisonment occurs when a person intentionally restricts another person’s movement within any area without legal authority, justification, or the restrained person's permission. Actual physical restraint is ...
,_and_
extrajudicial_killings An extrajudicial killing (also known as extrajudicial execution or extralegal killing) is the deliberate killing of a person without the lawful authority granted by a judicial proceeding. It typically refers to government authorities, whether ...
.__Such_treatment_has_incited_a_mass_exodus_of_refugees_who_have_left_to_neighboring_nations_such_as_India,_Thailand,_and_Malaysia,_even_though_doing_so_will_risk_further_torture,_detention,_or_even_death.__India_is_the_most_common_destination_for_Chin_refugees,_given_its_close_proximity,_yet_
Mizoram Mizoram () is a state in Northeast India, with Aizawl as its seat of government and capital city. The name of the state is derived from "Mizo people, Mizo", the endonym, self-described name of the native inhabitants, and "Ram", which in the Mizo ...
_(the_state_in_India_with_the_largest_Chin_population)_does_not_give_them_full_refugee_protection_and_they_have_no_legal_status_there.


_Extrajudicial_killings

The_
right_to_life The right to life is the belief that a being has the right to live and, in particular, should not be killed by another entity. The concept of a right to life arises in debates on issues including capital punishment, with some people seeing it as ...
_is_a_non-derogable_(not_revocable_under_any_circumstances),_as_outlined_in_the_
Universal_Declaration_of_Human_Rights The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) is an international document adopted by the United Nations General Assembly that enshrines the Human rights, rights and freedoms of all human beings. Drafted by a UN Drafting of the Universal De ...
_(UDHR)_and_the_
International_Covenant_on_Civil_and_Political_Rights The International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) is a multilateral treaty that commits nations to respect the civil and political rights of individuals, including the right to life, freedom of religion, freedom of speech, freedo ...
_(ICCPR)._The_articles_in_the_ICCPR_are_binding_on_member_states_that_have_ratified_the_ICCPR,_however,_Myanmar_is_one_of_few_states_that_have_neither_signed_nor_ratified_it._Article_3_of_the_UDHR_states_that_everyone_has_the_right_to_life,_liberty_and_security_of_a_person_and_article_6_of_the_ICCPR_states_that_every_human_being_has_the_inherent_right_to_life_and_no_one_shall_be_arbitrarily_deprived_of_his_or_her_life._Myanmar_has_also_ratified_the_
Convention_on_the_Rights_of_the_Child The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (commonly abbreviated as the CRC or UNCRC) is an international human rights treaty which sets out the civil, political, economic, social, health and cultural rights of children. The Con ...
_(CRC)_and_article_6_states_that_parties_to_the_Convention_must_recognize_that_every_child_has_the_inherent_right_to_life._Despite_these_international_instruments_prohibiting_
extrajudicial_killings An extrajudicial killing (also known as extrajudicial execution or extralegal killing) is the deliberate killing of a person without the lawful authority granted by a judicial proceeding. It typically refers to government authorities, whether ...
,_they_still_occur_to_the_Chins_in_Myanmar. Extrajudicial_killings_are_committed_by_the_SPDC_and_the_Tatmadaw_in_Chin_state,_and_the_killers_are_never_brought_to_justice._
Human_Rights_Watch Human Rights Watch (HRW) is an international non-governmental organization, headquartered in New York City, that conducts research and advocacy on human rights. The group pressures governments, policy makers, companies, and individual human r ...
_(HRW)_has_conducted_several_interviews_with_Chins_who_have_fled_Myanmar_to_produce_a_full_report_outlining_the_types_of_persecution_that_they_face._In_an_interview_with_HRW,_a_Chin_pastor_described_an_incident_that_he_witnessed_in_2006_in_
Falam_township Falam Township ( my, ဖလမ်းမြို့နယ်) is a township of Falam District in the Chin State of Burma (Myanmar). Its administrative seat is the town of Falam. The population, as of 2014, is 41,457 (male:20,350; female: 21,107). ...
._He_stated_that_the_SPDC_was_searching_for_members_of_the_opposing_Chin_National_Army_ The_Chin_National_Army_(_my,_ချင်းအမျိုးသားတပ်မတော်;_abbreviated_CNA)_is_a_Chin__ethnic_armed_organisation_in_Myanmar_(Burma)._It_is_the_armed_wing_of_the_Chin_National_Front_(CNF),_and_was_founded_on__...
_(CNA)_throughout_the_entire_town,_but_when_no_information_was_given,_they_beat_the_village_council_headman_and_ultimately_shot_him_dead._The_ Chin_Human_Rights_Organization_(CHRO)_documented_that_between_2005_and_2007,_sixteen_extrajudicial_killings_occurred_with_four_of_them_being_children._Also_between_2006_and_2010,_seven_Chin_men_were_killed_because_they_were_suspected_of_supporting_the_CNA_and_four_Chin_women_were_raped_before_being_murdered.


_Arbitrary_arrests,_detention_and_attacks

Under_section_61_of_the_Myanmar_Code_of_Criminal_Procedure_1898,_a_person_who_is_arrested_without_a_warrant_must_not_be_detained_for_more_than_twenty-four_hours._Section_340_states_a_person_who_has_proceedings_against_him_or_her_has_the_right_to_legal_representation._Also,_article_9_of_the_UDHR_states_that_no_one_shall_be_subjected_to_arbitrary_arrest,_detention,_or_exile._Despite_the_presence_of_legal_structures_and_
international_law International law (also known as public international law and the law of nations) is the set of rules, norms, and standards generally recognized as binding between states. It establishes normative guidelines and a common conceptual framework for ...
,_the_rule_of_law_is_not_followed_in_Myanmar_and_arbitrary_arrests,_detention,_and_attacks_are_still_carried_out_by_the_Tatmadaw_and_SPDC. A_number_of_Chins_who_were_interviewed_by_Human_Rights_Watch_describe_the_abuses_in_detail._One_Chin_man_recalls_back_to_the_year_2000_when_he_was_16_years_old._He_was_approached_by_the_Burmese_police_and_Tatmadaw_who_were_accusing_him_of_being_connected_to_the_CNA,_even_though_he_told_them_he_was_not_and_had_never_even_contacted_anyone_from_the_CNA_or_other_opposition_groups_before._The_police_and_Tatmadaw_refused_to_believe_him,_and_beat_him_with_the_end_of_their_guns_until_the_man's_head_was_split_open._They_also_used_electricity_from_a_battery_to_torture_him_and_would_only_stop_if_the_man_would_tell_them_information_about_the_CNA._For_the_Chins_that_are_unlucky,_they_will_be_confined_and_locked_up_in_detention_facilities._These_facilities_are_inadequate_and_unsuitable_for_anyone_to_be_detained_in._When_interviewed_by_the_Human_Rights_Watch,_former_innocent_prisoners_gave_detailed_descriptions_of_the_harsh_conditions_inside_detention_facilities_and_stated_that_they_were_overcrowded,_unsanitary,_and_infested_with_insects._Furthermore,_prisoners_are_only_given_
gruel Gruel is a food consisting of some type of cereal—such as ground oats, wheat, rye, or rice—heated or boiled in water or milk. It is a thinner version of porridge that may be more often drunk rather than eaten. Historically, gruel has been a ...
_to_eat_and_no_water_to_drink,_which_gave_some_prisoners_no_choice_but_to_drink_the_dirty_toilet_water.


_Forced_labor

Myanmar_has_been_a_part_of_the_
International_Labour_Organization The International Labour Organization (ILO) is a United Nations agency whose mandate is to advance social and economic justice by setting international labour standards. Founded in October 1919 under the League of Nations, it is the first and o ...
_(ILO)_since_1948_and_in_1955,_it_ratified_the_1930_
Forced_Labour_Convention The Forced Labour Convention, the full title of which is the Convention Concerning Forced or Compulsory Labour, 1930 (No.29), is one of eight ILO fundamental conventions of the International Labour Organization. Its object and purpose is to sup ...
_(No.29)._Article_1_of_the_Convention_states_that_each_member_of_the_ILO_which_ratifies_this_Convention_undertakes_to_suppress_the_use_of_forced_labour_in_all_its_forms_within_the_shortest_possible_period._As_a_member_state_of_the_ILO,_Myanmar_has_an_obligation_to_honour_the_provisions_contained_under_the_eight_core_Conventions_outlined_in_the_ILO,_which_includes_prohibition_of_forced_labour._The_Convention_on_the_Rights_of_the_Child_also_protects_children_from_economic_exploitation_or_any_labour_that_is_likely_to_be_harmful_to_the_child's_health_or_physical,_mental,_spiritual,_moral_or_social_development,_or_likely_to_interfere_with_the_child's_education._The_Myanmar_government_properly_responded_to_its_obligations,_and_in_1999_it_issued_Legislative_Order_No._1/99,_which_states_that_whoever_unlawfully_compels_any_person_to_labour_against_the_will_of_that_person_shall_be_punished_with_imprisonment_of_either_description_for_a_term_of_one_year,_or_with_a_fine,_or_both._In_2007,_the_
Federation_of_Trade_Unions_of_Burma The Confederation of Trade Unions, Myanmar (CTUM), formerly known as the Federation of Trade Unions of Burma (FTUB), is a trade union in Myanmar (Burma). As of 2018, CTUM had 65,002 members, ahead of the Agriculture and Farmers Federation of My ...
_(FTUB),_which_records_and_reports_violations_of_forced_labour_in_Myanmar_collected_approximately_3500_cases_of_forced_labour_mainly_involving_the_Chins_in_Chin_state._Despite_the_legal_structures_set_in_statute,_the_military_government_fails_to_enforce_the_law_and_continuously_turns_a_blind_eye_to_forced_labour_that_the_Chins_still_presently_endure._In_June_2006,_the_SPDC_Minister_of_Information_stated_that_the_Tatmadaw_were_doing_everything_legally_and_that_forced_labour_was_never_used. Forty-four_Chin_people_interviewed_by_Human_Rights_Watch_gave_statements_that_they_experienced_forced_labour_themselves,_and_another_fifty-two_reported_they_were_forced_to_porter_for_the_Tatmadaw._One_of_them_remembered_that_the_Tatmadaw_would_call_him_to_work_for_months,_building_houses_for_the_SPDC_or_erecting_fences_for_the_army_camp._Nothing_was_provided_for_him_and_he_had_to_bring_his_own_tools_and_equipment._There_was_no_payment,_and_if_he_did_not_show_up_to_work,_the_Tatmadaw_would_beat_him._Forced_labour_disrupts_the_livelihood_of_the_workers_and_prevents_them_from_doing_their_regular_jobs_to_support_their_families._Another_Chin_woman_told_the_HRW_of_times_where_she_was_forced_to_porter_more_than_ten_times_for_the_Tatmadaw._She_would_do_it_for_days_on_end_and_would_have_to_carry_thirty-kilogram_bags_for_up_to_twenty_miles_at_a_time._If_she_did_not_keep_up_the_pace_with_the_Tatmadaw,_they_would_beat_her_and_the_other_porters_too._One_time,_she_even_refused_orders,_but_the_Tatmadaw_replied_by_saying_"you_are_living_under_our_authority._You_have_no_choice._You_must_do_what_we_say"_and_beat_her_again.


__Research_

In_2011,_there_is_
research_project
regarding_the_human_rights_violations_and_health_in_Chin_state._The_researchers_use_"_multistaged_household_cluster"_sample_and_heads_of_household_are_interviewed_on_the_health_status,_access_to_health_care,_food_insecurity,_human_rights_violations_such_as_forced_labor_and_forced_displacement_during_the_last_12_months._In_the_research_data_that_they_state_that_in_618_households,_there_are_568_cases_of_people_suffering_any_forced_labor._In_597_households,_there_are_468_cases_of_people_forcing_to_do_build_bridges,_roads,_and_buildings._There_are_also_36_cases_of_household_member_being_imprisoned_or_detained.


_Universal_Periodic_Review_of_Myanmar

The_
Universal_Periodic_Review The Universal Periodic Review (UPR) is a mechanism of the United Nations (UN) Human Rights Council (HRC) that emerged from the 2005 UN reform process.resolution 60/251of 3 April 2006, the UPR periodically examines the human rights performance of all ...
_(UPR)_on_Myanmar_had_a_section_for_the_protection_and_promotion_of_human_rights_in_Myanmar._It_summarized_that_Myanmar_provided_legal_provisions_under_section_348_of_the_Constitution_of_the_Republic_of_the_Union_of_Myanmar,_concerning_the_guarantee_of_non-discrimination_of_any_kind_as_to_race,_colour,_sex,_language,_religion,_political_opinion,_poverty,_birth,_or_other_status._It_states_that_capital_punishment_is_prescribed_under_the_law_to_be_imposed_only_for_the_most_serious_of_crimes_and_to_only_be_carried_out_pursuant_to_the_final_judgment_of_a_competent_court._Further,_the_UPR_states_that_the_Penal_Code_of_Myanmar_prohibits_torture,_degrading_treatment,_arbitrary_arrest,_and_that_arrest_of_anyone_must_be_done_in_accordance_with_procedure_established_under_law._Additionally,_it_states_that_Myanmar_provides_the_right_of_peaceful_assembly_and_freedom_of_association._The_summary_seems_to_be_contradictory_to_the_real-life_experiences_of_the_Chin_people. States_such_as_the_United_States_of_America,_Jordan,_New_Zealand,_Poland,_and_others_have_made_recommendations_to_Myanmar_concerning_its_human_rights_violations._There_were_recommendations_for_Myanmar_to_improve_human_rights,_address_humanitarian_needs_of_its_people,_and_engage_constructively_with_its_international_human_rights_obligations._Poland_in_particular_expressed_regret_that,_despite_constitutional_provisions,_the_Government_continued_to_control_and_restrict_activity_of_minorities._The_U.S._has_condemned_its_systematic_human_rights_violations_and_noted_that_government_critics_were_at_risk_of_harassment,_arbitrary_arrest,_torture_and_ill-treatment,_and_even_extrajudicial_killings._It_expressed_concern_over_the_situation_of_ethnic_minorities.


__Diaspora_


__Global_Chin_community_

Given_their_persecution_in_Burma,_thousands_of_Chins_are_scattered_throughout_
Europe Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a Continent#Subcontinents, subcontinent of Eurasia ...
,_United_States,_and_
Southeast_Asia Southeast Asia, also spelled South East Asia and South-East Asia, and also known as Southeastern Asia, South-eastern Asia or SEA, is the geographical United Nations geoscheme for Asia#South-eastern Asia, south-eastern region of Asia, consistin ...
.__American_Baptist,_British,_and_
Swedish Swedish or ' may refer to: Anything from or related to Sweden, a country in Northern Europe. Or, specifically: * Swedish language, a North Germanic language spoken primarily in Sweden and Finland ** Swedish alphabet, the official alphabet used by ...
_
Lutheran Lutheranism is one of the largest branches of Protestantism, identifying primarily with the theology of Martin Luther, the 16th-century German monk and reformer whose efforts to reform the theology and practice of the Catholic Church launched th ...
_church_groups_have_helped_relocate_thousands_of_Chin_people.
Global_Chin_NewsWorld_News_in_ChinWorld_and_Chin-Burmese_News_in_ChinChin_Cable_NetworkChin_News_ChannelChinland_Today
an
Chin_Articles_and_News
_are_some_well_known_Chin_media_websites_that_broadcast_daily_news_in_Chin_languages.


__Chin_refugees_

It_is_estimated_that_at_least_60,000_Chin_people_refugees_are_living_in_India,_while_more_than_20,000_Chin_people_refugees_are_living_in_
Malaysia Malaysia ( ; ) is a country in Southeast Asia. The federation, federal constitutional monarchy consists of States and federal territories of Malaysia, thirteen states and three federal territories, separated by the South China Sea into two r ...
._Several_thousands_more_are_scattered_in_
North_America North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere and almost entirely within the Western Hemisphere. It is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South America and the Car ...
,_Europe,_
Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...
,_and_
New_Zealand New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...
. The_majority_of_Chin_refugees_entering_the_United_States_are_Christians_who_are_either_young,_single_males,_or_young_couples,_some_with_children._Most_are_uneducated_and_come_from_small_villages._Many_Chin_are_pushed_to_leave_by_their_parents_for_fear_that_they_will_be_forced_by_the_
Burmese_government Myanmar ( also known as Burma) operates ''de jure'' as a unitary assembly-independent republic under its 2008 constitution. On 1 February 2021, Myanmar's military took over the government in a coup, causing ongoing anti-coup protests. Po ...
_to_take_part_in_dangerous_or_difficult_jobs_that_range_from_road_paving_to_human_mine_sweeping.__It_has_been_documented_that_civilians_forced_to_porter_in_Burma's_conflict_areas_are_sometimes_sent_before_the_troops_so_that_they_will_detonate_mines_(Online_Burma/Myanmar_Library,_2010). The_Chin_people_who_flee_from_Burma_usually_enter_the_United_States_directly_from_
Thailand Thailand ( ), historically known as Siam () and officially the Kingdom of Thailand, is a country in Southeast Asia, located at the centre of the Indochinese Peninsula, spanning , with a population of almost 70 million. The country is bo ...
,_
Malaysia Malaysia ( ; ) is a country in Southeast Asia. The federation, federal constitutional monarchy consists of States and federal territories of Malaysia, thirteen states and three federal territories, separated by the South China Sea into two r ...
,_and_India._For_most_leaving_Burma,_the_trip_is_illegal,_dangerous,_and_expensive._Many_of_those_who_have_little_money_fled_through_boats,_cars,_or_walk._Other_who_have_more_money_went_through_airplanes._There_are_brokers_involved_who_charge_approximately_$1,000_per_person_to_transport_
refugees A refugee, conventionally speaking, is a displaced person who has crossed national borders and who cannot or is unwilling to return home due to well-founded fear of persecution.
_across_the_border._If_those_fleeing_are_caught_by_either_the_
Burmese_government Myanmar ( also known as Burma) operates ''de jure'' as a unitary assembly-independent republic under its 2008 constitution. On 1 February 2021, Myanmar's military took over the government in a coup, causing ongoing anti-coup protests. Po ...
_or_the_government_of_the_country_they_are_trying_to_enter,_they_face_imprisonment_that_may_include_harsh_treatment_such_as_being_beaten._Those_in_refugee_camps_(located_mainly_in_Thailand)_are_told_that_it_is_easier_to_gain_entry_into_the_United_States_if_they_have_children;_thus,_many_young,_new_parents_enter_the_United_States_and_need_jobs_immediately_in_order_to_support_their_young_families.


_Mizoram_response_to_Chins_seeking_refuge

Chins_have_restricted_
freedom_of_movement Freedom of movement, mobility rights, or the right to travel is a human rights concept encompassing the right of individuals to travel from place to place within the territory of a country,Jérémiee Gilbert, ''Nomadic Peoples and Human Rights' ...
_and_their_travel_is_limited_by_the_SPDC_which_makes_it_difficult_for_them_to_escape_persecution_in_Myanmar._They_are_left_with_no_choice_but_to_leave,_without_travel_documents,_to_nearby_states._Chins_mainly_travel_to_the_Indian_state_of_Mizoram_and_seek_protection_there._As_of_2011,_it_is_estimated_that_100,000_Chins_were_living_there._Initially,_Mizoram_welcomed_the_Chins._However,_as_the_persecution_worsened_in_Myanmar,_the_Mizoram_population_became_less_generous_in_terms_of_the_protection_it_gave_and_its_attitude_towards_Chins._However,_this_attitude_has_completely_reversed_beginning_from_the_21st_Century,_with_people_from_both_areas_helping_each_other_through_disasters_with_a_newfound_realisation_of_shared_identity. Previously,_though_some_could_flee_from_persecution_in_Myanmar,_they_faced_a_new_problem_when_arriving_in_Mizoram._There_they_do_not_have_legal_immigration_status_and_are_subsequently_treated_as_illegal_aliens._As_such,_the_Chins_that_arrive_at_Mizoram_are_placed_in_a_"protracted,_urban_refugee_situation"_which_is_defined_by_the_
United_Nations_High_Commissioner_for_Refugees The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) is a United Nations agency mandated to aid and protect refugees, forcibly displaced communities, and stateless people, and to assist in their voluntary repatriation, local integrati ...
_(UNHCR)_as_a_situation_where_refugees_find_themselves_in_a_long-standing_and_intractable_state_of_limbo._Their_lives_may_not_be_at_risk_but_their_basic_rights_and_essential_economic,_social,_and_psychological_needs_remain_unfulfilled_after_years_of_exile._They_face_challenges_related_to_livelihood,_food,_shelter,_and_healthcare._For_some_refugees,_survival_may_be_more_difficult_when_compared_to_their_former_lives_in_Myanmar.__Local_integration_is_extremely_challenging_for_Chins_since_they_do_not_speak_the_local_language_and_are_not_used_to_the_regional_culture_and_practices._Thus,_many_Chin_live_and_do_informal_work_on_the_outer_margins_of_the_community._As_a_result_of_not_having_any_legal_immigration_status,_many_Chins_have_reported_being_arrested,_detained,_and_fined_for_being_foreigners._Some_Chins_are_victims_of_labour_exploitation_and_crime_but_do_not_report_it_to_the_police_for_fear_of_deportation. The_ Young_Mizo_Association_(YMA)_is_a_voluntary_association_in_Mizoram_whose_mandate_is_to_provide_community_service,_which_includes_"conservation_of_Mizo_culture_and_heritage"._In_the_past,_it_has_issued_orders_forcing_Chins_to_leave_Mizoram_because_they_do_not_want_foreigners_in_their_country._This_breaches_the_international_principle_of_
non-refoulement Non-refoulement () is a fundamental principle of international law that forbids a country receiving asylum seekers from returning them to a country in which they would be in likely danger of persecution based on "race, religion, nationality, member ...
_because_if_Chins_were_to_be_sent_back_to_Myanmar,_persecution_and_suffering_would_be_inevitable_for_them._One_interviewee_who_spoke_to_the_Human_Rights_Watch_recalled_that_members_of_the_YMA_carried_sticks_and_went_to_each_of_the_Chins'_houses_to_ensure_that_they_left_Mizoram._The_police_also_arrested_Chins_who_did_not_leave_and_confined_them_in_jail. The_change_in_attitude_of_Mizoram_is_clearest_during_the_ 2021_Myanmar_coup_when_the_military_overthrew_the_Myanmar_government._Fearing_persecution_more_than_ten_thousand_Chins_fled_to_Mizoram._In_stark_contrast_to_previous_years,_the_Mizoram_government_took_them_in_and_protected_them_despite_of_direct_orders_from_the_Indian_government_to_prevent_refugees_from_entering_India._Mizoram_Chief_Minister_
Zoramthanga Zoramthanga (born 13 July 1944) is an Indian politician who is the Chief Minister of Mizoram. He is the president of Mizo National Front (MNF) party. He had served as the Chief Minister of Mizoram from December 1998 to December 2008, for two ...
_sent_a_letter_to_the_Indian_government_stating: “Myanmar_areas_bordering_Mizoram_are_inhabited_by_Chin_communities_who_are_ethnically_our_Mizo_brethren_with_whom_we_have_been_having_close_contacts_throughout_these_years_even_before_India_became_independent._Therefore_Mizoram_cannot_remain_indifferent_to_their_suffering_today._India_cannot_turn_a_blind_eye_to_this_humanitarian_crisis_unfolding_right_in_front_of_us_in_our_own_backyard” This_sentiment_was_shared_throughout_the_state.__The_Young_Mizo_Association_built_refugee_towns_and_supplied_the_refugees_with_food,_clothes_and_money_donated_by_people_from_all_over_Mizoram._On_the_request_of_Young_Mizo_Association,_Mizoram_allocated_money_for_the_refugees,_which_included_lawmakers_and_even_the_chief_minister_of_Chin_state,_
Salai_Lian_Luai Salai Lian Luai ( my, ဆလိုင်းလျန်လွယ်), a lawyer turned politician and currently serving as Chief Minister of Chin State, the head of Chin State Government. He received a law degree from Yangon University. He s ...
.


_Notable_Chin_people

*
Gokhothang Goukhothang, Raja (–1872) was a prince from the Guite people, Guite family of Zo people, Zomi also known as Tedim Chin in Myanmar (Burma) and Paite language, Paite in India. He was known as the then leader of all Zo people as Carey and Tuck a ...
_was_a_powerful_
Guite Guite is the progenitor clan of Mizo people He is also said to be the Older Brother of Thadou progenitor of the Thadou people. Mostly the Guite clan speak mizo language . Some known as Zomi and few also as kuki in India and as Zogam in Myanmar ...
_prince_from_Mualpi,_also_known_as_Go_Khaw_Thang,_Go_Khua_Thang,_or_Kokutung_(the_latter_being_the_name_used_by_the_historians_Carey_and_Tuck)._He_is_the_only_Zomi_prince_whom_the_neighboring_ Meitei_(Manipur_ Manipur_()_(_mni,_Kangleipak)_is_a_state_in_Northeast_India,_with_the_city_of_Imphal_as_its_capital._It_is_bounded_by_the_Indian_states_of_Nagaland_to_the_north,_Mizoram_to_the_south_and_Assam_to_the_west._It_also_borders_two_regions_of_Myanm_...
)_Kingdom_ever_acknowledged_as_
Raja ''Raja'' (; from , IAST ') is a royal title used for South Asian monarchs. The title is equivalent to king or princely ruler in South Asia and Southeast Asia. The title has a long history in South Asia and Southeast Asia, being attested f ...
_(or_
Ningthou Ningthou was a title used for the King of Manipur. The Ningthou was used to refer to the King after the reign of Pakhangba and was a title used until King Pamheiba. The subsequent Sanskritization undertaken by Pamheiba and Shantidas Adhikari chang ...
_in_Metei_language)._His_powerful_dominion_included_over_seventy_cities,_towns,_and_villages._He_became_known_as_the_leader_of_all_Zo_people.Bertram_S._Carey_and_Henry_N._Tuck,_Chin_Hills'',_Vol_1_(1896),_page_141. *
Pau_Cin_Hau Pau Cin Hau is the founder and the name of a religion followed by some Tedim, Hakha in Chin state and Kale in Sagaing division in the north-western part of Myanmar. Pau Cin Hau was born in the Tedim (Tiddim) in 1859; and lived until 1948. He sta ...
_was_a_prophet_who_lived_around_1859._He_created_a_script_for_the_
Zo_people The Zomi are an ethnic group which can be found in India, Myanmar and in Chittagong hill tracks of Bangladesh. The word Zomi is used to describe an ethnic group, which is also known as the Chin, the Mizo, the Kuki, or a number of other names ...
_named_Zo_tuallai._He_also_founded_the_Laipan_religion._This_religion_was_very_popular_among_the_
Zo_people The Zomi are an ethnic group which can be found in India, Myanmar and in Chittagong hill tracks of Bangladesh. The word Zomi is used to describe an ethnic group, which is also known as the Chin, the Mizo, the Kuki, or a number of other names ...
_before_the_arrival_of_American_missionaries. *Living_around_1867,_ Khai_Kam_Suantak_was_a_famous_Chin_leader._He_ruled_over_the_largest_country_in_the_Chin_hills._Khai_Kam_College_in_Kalemyo_was_named_in_his_honor,_although_it_had_since_been_renamed_Kale_College._ *
Zoramthanga Zoramthanga (born 13 July 1944) is an Indian politician who is the Chief Minister of Mizoram. He is the president of Mizo National Front (MNF) party. He had served as the Chief Minister of Mizoram from December 1998 to December 2008, for two ...
,_was_a_
boxer Boxer most commonly refers to: * Boxer (boxing), a competitor in the sport of boxing *Boxer (dog), a breed of dog Boxer or boxers may also refer to: Animal kingdom * Boxer crab * Boxer shrimp, a small group of decapod crustaceans * Boxer snipe ee ...
_who_won_a_bronze_medal_at_the_1990_
Bombay Mumbai (, ; also known as Bombay — the official name until 1995) is the capital city of the Indian state of Maharashtra and the ''de facto'' financial centre of India. According to the United Nations, as of 2018, Mumbai is the second- ...
_
Boxing_World_Cup The Boxing World Cup was an international boxing event organized by the International Boxing Association (AIBA), featuring boxers competing in different weight divisions. It was held from 1979 to 1998 as an individual competition and from 2002 to ...
. *
Taik_Chun Captain Aung San Thuriya Thuya Taik Chon (aka) Captain Taik Chon (serial no: BC/5453 and BC/7288) was the only Chin (Matu) soldier to have received both ''Thuya'' and ''Aung San Thuriya'' Medal, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantr ...
,_a_recipient_of_
Aung_San_Thuriya This article considers the religious, military and civil orders, decorations and medals of Union of Myanmar. Religious honorary orders Before and after Myanmar's independence, governments presented two religious orders, Abhidhaja Maha Rathta ...
_medal,_the_highest_and_most_prestigious_award_for_gallantry_and_bravery. * *
Henry_Van_Thio Henry Van Thio (; born 9 August 1959) is a Burmese politician who is the Second Vice President of Myanmar since 30 March 2016. He previously served as a member of Amyotha Hluttaw (House of Nationalities). In the 2015 election, he contested and ...
,_politician_and_vice-president_of_Burma. * Cheery_Zahau_is_a_Chin_human_rights_activist,_women's_right_activist,_feminist,_politician,_writer,_development_and_peace_leader._She_is_the_founder_and_leader_of_"Women's_League_of_Chinland"_and_winner_of_
UNDP The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)french: Programme des Nations unies pour le développement, PNUD is a United Nations agency tasked with helping countries eliminate poverty and achieve sustainable economic growth and human dev ...
's_
N-Peace_Awards N-Peace, or ‘Engage for Equality, Access, Community and Empowerment’ is a UNDP flagship initiative founded in 2010 to commemorate a decade of UNSCR 1325 implementation via the Women, Peace and Security (WPS) agenda. Currently unique to the ...
_2017. *
Thet_Mon_Myint Thet Mon Myint ( my, သက်မွန်မြင့်; born Zung Cer Mawi; on 23 July 1982) is a two-time Myanmar Academy Award winning actress and model. She is the Myanmar's fourth highest-paid actress. In 2019, she was listed on The Mya ...
_is_Chin_actress,_one_of_the_legendary_actresses_in_the_industry._She_won_two_ Myanmar_Academy_awards_for_best_actress. *_ Benjamin_Sum,_singer_and_ ''Myanmar_Idol''_season_4_runners_up *_ Esther_Dawt_Chin_Sung,_singer_and_winner_of_''Myanmar_Idol''_season_4


_See_also

*_
Chin_Student_Association The Chin Students' Association (CSA) is the student body of the Zomi people living in the country of India. It is one of the main bodies of the TCU or Tedim Chin Union. There is also another body known as the CYA, or Chin Youth Association. It ...


__References_


_External_links


Chin_Cultural_ProfileChin_Bible

Zomi_Re-unification_OrganisationiChin_National_FrontEnglish_-_Zomi/Chin_Online_dictionaryHuman_Rights_Watch_Report_on_Persecution_of_ChinsReport_on_Chin_People_Seeking_Refuge_in_Mizoram
{{DEFAULTSORT:Chin_People Ethnic_groups_in_Myanmar Kuki_tribes Headhuntinghtml" "title="Matu, Mara people, Mara, Yaw, Asho,
Cho Cho or CHO may refer to: People * Chief Happiness Officer Surnames * Cho (Korean surname), one romanization of the common Korean surname * Zhuo (), romanized Cho in Wade–Giles, Chinese surname * Cho, a Minnan romanization of the Chinese sur ...
, Kuki, Laimi, Mizo, Zotung and Khumi. Each Tribe has hundreds of clans and family tree. Although the word "Chin" is absent among the Chin language, it is found to be used by these people since the 8th century. Therefore, the majority of people living in Chin State accepted the name "Chin".


Attempts at unification

The realization that the Zomi are one group that share common dialectical roots and customs despite separation by international and state boundaries, brought about movements for unification of the occupied territories and of the people. One of the first movements was the Mizo National Movement which ended with the formation of the
Mizoram State Mizoram () is a state in Northeast India, with Aizawl as its seat of government and capital city. The name of the state is derived from " Mizo", the self-described name of the native inhabitants, and "Ram", which in the Mizo language means "lan ...
in India. * The re-unification of the Chin-Kuki-Mizo people in the
Chin Hills The Chin Hills are a range of mountains in Chin State, northwestern Burma, Burma (Myanmar), that extends northward into India's Manipur state. Geography The highest peak in the Chin Hills is Khonu Msung, or Mount Victoria, in southern Chin State ...
, Manipur Hills, Biate Hills, Hmar Hills, Riam Hills, Rakhaing Hills, Lakher Hills, Yaw plains, Lushai Hill, Chindwin plains and the Chittagong Hill area arouse in 1990 with the
Zomi Revolutionary Army The Zomi Revolutionary Army ( my, ဇိုမီး တော်လှန်ရေး တပ်မတော်; abbreviated ZRA) is an armed Zomi nationalist insurgent group formed in 1997, following an increase in ethnic tensions between the ...
. It is an armed group in
Manipur Manipur () ( mni, Kangleipak) is a state in Northeast India, with the city of Imphal as its capital. It is bounded by the Indian states of Nagaland to the north, Mizoram to the south and Assam to the west. It also borders two regions of Myanm ...
, India.


Culture


Chin National Day

The Chin National Day is celebrated annually on February 20, which is the day the Chin people abolished the slavery system or chieftainship. The first Chin National Day was celebrated in 1951 at
Mindat Mindat may refer to: Places in Burma/Myanmar *Mindat, Chin State, in Burma *Mindat Township, in Burma *Mindat District in Chin State, Burma Other uses *Mindat Min Kanaung Mintha ( my, ကနောင်မင်းသား; 31 January 1820 ...
. People display many traditional dance such as bamboo dance, Sarlam (conquest dance), Khuangcawi(a lady is lifted by a crowd), Ruakhatlak/Cherua and many other dances from each group. One of the big events on Chin National Day is the traditional wrestling (Lai Paih). There is also Miss competition from each town or city in Chin State. Other events, such as fashion shows and singing also take place in Chin National Day. Traditional food, such as Sabuti/Sabaktui ( hominy corn soup) and Chang (rice cake) are served.


Clothing

There are several tradition dresses such as
Matu The Matu District is a district in Mukah Division, Sarawak, Malaysia. Before Mukah Division was established, Matu was within Sibu Division. There are more than 20 villages in the district, with Melanau Melanau or ''A-Likou'' (meaning River ...
,
Falam Falam (, ) is a town in north-western Burma (Myanmar) near Burma's western border with the Indian state of Mizoram. The town was founded by Taisun tribe. The British arrived to Falam in 1892, and became an important base for British rule of the ...
,
Tedim Tedim (, , ( Zo: ''Tedim Khawpi'', pronounced ; is a town in and the administrative seat of Tedim Township, Chin State, in the north-western part of Burma. It is the second largest town in Chin State. The town's four major boroughs (''vengte'') a ...
, Zo, Tapong, Zotung,
Mindat Mindat may refer to: Places in Burma/Myanmar *Mindat, Chin State, in Burma *Mindat Township, in Burma *Mindat District in Chin State, Burma Other uses *Mindat Min Kanaung Mintha ( my, ကနောင်မင်းသား; 31 January 1820 ...
, Mara people, Mara, etc. The main colors use for these traditional dresses are red, green and black. Accessories such as bracelets, necklaces, hairpins and rings also play a huge role when it comes to traditional clothing as they complete the overall looks of the Chin. Chin people do not wear these clothes in daily life. They wear these on special occasions like Sundays, weddings
Chin National Day
and any other important occasions


Sports

Wrestling Wrestling is a series of combat sports involving grappling-type techniques such as clinch fighting, throws and takedowns, joint locks, pins and other grappling holds. Wrestling techniques have been incorporated into martial arts, combat ...
is a part of the Chin people's tradition.
Chin United F.C. Chin United Football Club is a Burmese football club. The club is based in Chin State and is one of the two teams representing the state along with GFA FC. The club is composed mostly of Chin players, who claimed to have faced ethnic prejudice ...
represents the Chin people in Burmese
association football Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a team sport played between two teams of 11 players who primarily use their feet to propel the ball around a rectangular field called a pitch. The objective of the game is ...
. The club play in the
Myanmar National League The MPT Myanmar National League ( my, မြန်မာ နေရှင်နယ် လိဂ်; abbreviated MNL) is the premier national professional football league of Myanmar. In 2009, the league replaced the Myanmar Premier League, which co ...
.


Language

There are 31 different varieties of the Chin language, which are also spoken in India and Bangladesh. The largest varieties in three countries are: * Mizo Chin along with Lusei, Hualngo, Hmar estimated 1,000,000+ * Zomi Tedim Chin with an estimated 344,000 speakers * Thadou Kuki Chin estimated 300,000 * Asho Chin 200,000-300,000 * Falam Chin with an estimated 50,300 speakers * Haka Chin (Hakha) with an estimated 125,000 speakers * Matu Chin 25,000 speakers * Khumi Chin 90,000 * Mara Chin with an estimated 50,000 speakers * Cho Chin 60,000 * Zotung Chin 35,000 There are also many different accents among the same dialects. Many Chin people, especially students also speak Burmese, since it is the primary official language in
Myanmar Myanmar, ; UK pronunciations: US pronunciations incl. . Note: Wikipedia's IPA conventions require indicating /r/ even in British English although only some British English speakers pronounce r at the end of syllables. As John C. Wells, Joh ...
and it is taught in school.


Religion

Traditionally, the Chin peoples were
animist Animism (from Latin: ' meaning 'breath, Soul, spirit, life') is the belief that objects, places, and creatures all possess a distinct Spirituality, spiritual essence. Potentially, animism perceives all things—Animal, animals, Plant, plants, Ro ...
s. However, in the late 1800s, the first Christian missionaries arrived in the Chin State, and began sharing the message of
Christianity Christianity is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth. It is the world's largest and most widespread religion with roughly 2.38 billion followers representing one-third of the global pop ...
with indigenous people. Due to the work of the
Baptist Baptists form a major branch of Protestantism distinguished by baptizing professing Christian believers only (believer's baptism), and doing so by complete immersion. Baptist churches also generally subscribe to the doctrines of soul compete ...
Arthur E. Carson, their efforts were successful, and today the majority of Chin are Christians, with most belonging to
Protestant Protestantism is a Christian denomination, branch of Christianity that follows the theological tenets of the Reformation, Protestant Reformation, a movement that began seeking to reform the Catholic Church from within in the 16th century agai ...
denominations, especially Baptist.David Shavit
"The United States in Asia: A Historical Dictionary"
Retrieved 2012-05-13. Many Chin people have served as evangelists and pastors, ministering in places such as the United States, Australia, Guam, and India. The Chin people's adoption of Christianity was not followed by the rest of Burma, and, since independence, the military government has persecuted the Chin people on religious grounds. Christianity grew from 35% in 1966 to 90% in 2010. Since the late 20th century, a group of Chin, Kuki, and Mizo peoples claim descent from
Bnei Menashe The Bnei Menashe ( he, בני מנשה, "Children of Menasseh", known as the Shinlung in India) is a community of people from various Tibeto-Burmese ethnic groups from the border of India and Burma who claim descent from one of the Lost Tribes ...
, one of the
Lost Tribes of Israel The ten lost tribes were the ten of the Twelve Tribes of Israel that were said to have been exiled from the Kingdom of Israel after its conquest by the Neo-Assyrian Empire BCE. These are the tribes of Reuben, Simeon, Dan, Naphtali, Gad, Ashe ...
and have adopted the practice of
Judaism Judaism ( he, ''Yahăḏūṯ'') is an Abrahamic, monotheistic, and ethnic religion comprising the collective religious, cultural, and legal tradition and civilization of the Jewish people. It has its roots as an organized religion in the ...
.


Human rights violations against Chin peoples

The Chin people in Myanmar are one of the minority ethnic groups that have suffered widespread and ongoing ethnic and religious persecution ever since General Ne Win overthrew the democratically elected government in 1962. The predominant religion in Myanmar is
Buddhism Buddhism ( , ), also known as Buddha Dharma and Dharmavinaya (), is an Indian religion or philosophical tradition based on teachings attributed to the Buddha. It originated in northern India as a -movement in the 5th century BCE, and gra ...
, however, the Chin people are largely Christian due to American missionary work in the 19th and 20th century. This has led to continuous attempts at forced assimilation. There have been recorded numerous crimes against humanity in Myanmar's western Chin state, committed mainly by the
Tatmadaw Tatmadaw (, , ) is the official name of the armed forces of Myanmar (formerly Burma). It is administered by the Ministry of Defence and composed of the Myanmar Army, the Myanmar Navy and the Myanmar Air Force. Auxiliary services include th ...
(members of the Burmese Army) and police; however, other agents of the military government and the
State Peace and Development Council The State Peace and Development Council ( my, နိုင်ငံတော် အေးချမ်းသာယာရေး နှင့် ဖွံ့ဖြိုးရေး ကောင်စီ ; abbreviated SPDC or , ) was the offi ...
(SPDC) are also involved. Despite continued persecution, little has been done on the part of the Chin people to speak out due to fear of reprisal, restrictions on travel, and the press imposed by the Burmese military regime. In their oppression of the Chin people, the Tatmadaw consistently violate the rule of law. The Chin people have been subject to
forced labor Forced labour, or unfree labour, is any work relation, especially in modern or early modern history, in which people are employed against their will with the threat of destitution, detention, violence including death, or other forms of ex ...
,
torture Torture is the deliberate infliction of severe pain or suffering on a person for reasons such as punishment, extracting a confession, interrogation for information, or intimidating third parties. Some definitions are restricted to acts c ...
, arbitrary arrests,
unlawful detention False imprisonment or unlawful imprisonment occurs when a person intentionally restricts another person’s movement within any area without legal authority, justification, or the restrained person's permission. Actual physical restraint is ...
, and
extrajudicial killings An extrajudicial killing (also known as extrajudicial execution or extralegal killing) is the deliberate killing of a person without the lawful authority granted by a judicial proceeding. It typically refers to government authorities, whether ...
. Such treatment has incited a mass exodus of refugees who have left to neighboring nations such as India, Thailand, and Malaysia, even though doing so will risk further torture, detention, or even death. India is the most common destination for Chin refugees, given its close proximity, yet
Mizoram Mizoram () is a state in Northeast India, with Aizawl as its seat of government and capital city. The name of the state is derived from "Mizo people, Mizo", the endonym, self-described name of the native inhabitants, and "Ram", which in the Mizo ...
(the state in India with the largest Chin population) does not give them full refugee protection and they have no legal status there.


Extrajudicial killings

The
right to life The right to life is the belief that a being has the right to live and, in particular, should not be killed by another entity. The concept of a right to life arises in debates on issues including capital punishment, with some people seeing it as ...
is a non-derogable (not revocable under any circumstances), as outlined in the
Universal Declaration of Human Rights The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) is an international document adopted by the United Nations General Assembly that enshrines the Human rights, rights and freedoms of all human beings. Drafted by a UN Drafting of the Universal De ...
(UDHR) and the
International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights The International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) is a multilateral treaty that commits nations to respect the civil and political rights of individuals, including the right to life, freedom of religion, freedom of speech, freedo ...
(ICCPR). The articles in the ICCPR are binding on member states that have ratified the ICCPR, however, Myanmar is one of few states that have neither signed nor ratified it. Article 3 of the UDHR states that everyone has the right to life, liberty and security of a person and article 6 of the ICCPR states that every human being has the inherent right to life and no one shall be arbitrarily deprived of his or her life. Myanmar has also ratified the
Convention on the Rights of the Child The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (commonly abbreviated as the CRC or UNCRC) is an international human rights treaty which sets out the civil, political, economic, social, health and cultural rights of children. The Con ...
(CRC) and article 6 states that parties to the Convention must recognize that every child has the inherent right to life. Despite these international instruments prohibiting
extrajudicial killings An extrajudicial killing (also known as extrajudicial execution or extralegal killing) is the deliberate killing of a person without the lawful authority granted by a judicial proceeding. It typically refers to government authorities, whether ...
, they still occur to the Chins in Myanmar. Extrajudicial killings are committed by the SPDC and the Tatmadaw in Chin state, and the killers are never brought to justice.
Human Rights Watch Human Rights Watch (HRW) is an international non-governmental organization, headquartered in New York City, that conducts research and advocacy on human rights. The group pressures governments, policy makers, companies, and individual human r ...
(HRW) has conducted several interviews with Chins who have fled Myanmar to produce a full report outlining the types of persecution that they face. In an interview with HRW, a Chin pastor described an incident that he witnessed in 2006 in
Falam township Falam Township ( my, ဖလမ်းမြို့နယ်) is a township of Falam District in the Chin State of Burma (Myanmar). Its administrative seat is the town of Falam. The population, as of 2014, is 41,457 (male:20,350; female: 21,107). ...
. He stated that the SPDC was searching for members of the opposing
Chin National Army The Chin National Army ( my, ချင်းအမျိုးသားတပ်မတော်; abbreviated CNA) is a Chin ethnic armed organisation in Myanmar (Burma). It is the armed wing of the Chin National Front (CNF), and was founded on ...
(CNA) throughout the entire town, but when no information was given, they beat the village council headman and ultimately shot him dead. The Chin Human Rights Organization (CHRO) documented that between 2005 and 2007, sixteen extrajudicial killings occurred with four of them being children. Also between 2006 and 2010, seven Chin men were killed because they were suspected of supporting the CNA and four Chin women were raped before being murdered.


Arbitrary arrests, detention and attacks

Under section 61 of the Myanmar Code of Criminal Procedure 1898, a person who is arrested without a warrant must not be detained for more than twenty-four hours. Section 340 states a person who has proceedings against him or her has the right to legal representation. Also, article 9 of the UDHR states that no one shall be subjected to arbitrary arrest, detention, or exile. Despite the presence of legal structures and
international law International law (also known as public international law and the law of nations) is the set of rules, norms, and standards generally recognized as binding between states. It establishes normative guidelines and a common conceptual framework for ...
, the rule of law is not followed in Myanmar and arbitrary arrests, detention, and attacks are still carried out by the Tatmadaw and SPDC. A number of Chins who were interviewed by Human Rights Watch describe the abuses in detail. One Chin man recalls back to the year 2000 when he was 16 years old. He was approached by the Burmese police and Tatmadaw who were accusing him of being connected to the CNA, even though he told them he was not and had never even contacted anyone from the CNA or other opposition groups before. The police and Tatmadaw refused to believe him, and beat him with the end of their guns until the man's head was split open. They also used electricity from a battery to torture him and would only stop if the man would tell them information about the CNA. For the Chins that are unlucky, they will be confined and locked up in detention facilities. These facilities are inadequate and unsuitable for anyone to be detained in. When interviewed by the Human Rights Watch, former innocent prisoners gave detailed descriptions of the harsh conditions inside detention facilities and stated that they were overcrowded, unsanitary, and infested with insects. Furthermore, prisoners are only given
gruel Gruel is a food consisting of some type of cereal—such as ground oats, wheat, rye, or rice—heated or boiled in water or milk. It is a thinner version of porridge that may be more often drunk rather than eaten. Historically, gruel has been a ...
to eat and no water to drink, which gave some prisoners no choice but to drink the dirty toilet water.


Forced labor

Myanmar has been a part of the
International Labour Organization The International Labour Organization (ILO) is a United Nations agency whose mandate is to advance social and economic justice by setting international labour standards. Founded in October 1919 under the League of Nations, it is the first and o ...
(ILO) since 1948 and in 1955, it ratified the 1930
Forced Labour Convention The Forced Labour Convention, the full title of which is the Convention Concerning Forced or Compulsory Labour, 1930 (No.29), is one of eight ILO fundamental conventions of the International Labour Organization. Its object and purpose is to sup ...
(No.29). Article 1 of the Convention states that each member of the ILO which ratifies this Convention undertakes to suppress the use of forced labour in all its forms within the shortest possible period. As a member state of the ILO, Myanmar has an obligation to honour the provisions contained under the eight core Conventions outlined in the ILO, which includes prohibition of forced labour. The Convention on the Rights of the Child also protects children from economic exploitation or any labour that is likely to be harmful to the child's health or physical, mental, spiritual, moral or social development, or likely to interfere with the child's education. The Myanmar government properly responded to its obligations, and in 1999 it issued Legislative Order No. 1/99, which states that whoever unlawfully compels any person to labour against the will of that person shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term of one year, or with a fine, or both. In 2007, the
Federation of Trade Unions of Burma The Confederation of Trade Unions, Myanmar (CTUM), formerly known as the Federation of Trade Unions of Burma (FTUB), is a trade union in Myanmar (Burma). As of 2018, CTUM had 65,002 members, ahead of the Agriculture and Farmers Federation of My ...
(FTUB), which records and reports violations of forced labour in Myanmar collected approximately 3500 cases of forced labour mainly involving the Chins in Chin state. Despite the legal structures set in statute, the military government fails to enforce the law and continuously turns a blind eye to forced labour that the Chins still presently endure. In June 2006, the SPDC Minister of Information stated that the Tatmadaw were doing everything legally and that forced labour was never used. Forty-four Chin people interviewed by Human Rights Watch gave statements that they experienced forced labour themselves, and another fifty-two reported they were forced to porter for the Tatmadaw. One of them remembered that the Tatmadaw would call him to work for months, building houses for the SPDC or erecting fences for the army camp. Nothing was provided for him and he had to bring his own tools and equipment. There was no payment, and if he did not show up to work, the Tatmadaw would beat him. Forced labour disrupts the livelihood of the workers and prevents them from doing their regular jobs to support their families. Another Chin woman told the HRW of times where she was forced to porter more than ten times for the Tatmadaw. She would do it for days on end and would have to carry thirty-kilogram bags for up to twenty miles at a time. If she did not keep up the pace with the Tatmadaw, they would beat her and the other porters too. One time, she even refused orders, but the Tatmadaw replied by saying "you are living under our authority. You have no choice. You must do what we say" and beat her again.


Research

In 2011, there is
research project
regarding the human rights violations and health in Chin state. The researchers use " multistaged household cluster" sample and heads of household are interviewed on the health status, access to health care, food insecurity, human rights violations such as forced labor and forced displacement during the last 12 months. In the research data that they state that in 618 households, there are 568 cases of people suffering any forced labor. In 597 households, there are 468 cases of people forcing to do build bridges, roads, and buildings. There are also 36 cases of household member being imprisoned or detained.


Universal Periodic Review of Myanmar

The
Universal Periodic Review The Universal Periodic Review (UPR) is a mechanism of the United Nations (UN) Human Rights Council (HRC) that emerged from the 2005 UN reform process.resolution 60/251of 3 April 2006, the UPR periodically examines the human rights performance of all ...
(UPR) on Myanmar had a section for the protection and promotion of human rights in Myanmar. It summarized that Myanmar provided legal provisions under section 348 of the Constitution of the Republic of the Union of Myanmar, concerning the guarantee of non-discrimination of any kind as to race, colour, sex, language, religion, political opinion, poverty, birth, or other status. It states that capital punishment is prescribed under the law to be imposed only for the most serious of crimes and to only be carried out pursuant to the final judgment of a competent court. Further, the UPR states that the Penal Code of Myanmar prohibits torture, degrading treatment, arbitrary arrest, and that arrest of anyone must be done in accordance with procedure established under law. Additionally, it states that Myanmar provides the right of peaceful assembly and freedom of association. The summary seems to be contradictory to the real-life experiences of the Chin people. States such as the United States of America, Jordan, New Zealand, Poland, and others have made recommendations to Myanmar concerning its human rights violations. There were recommendations for Myanmar to improve human rights, address humanitarian needs of its people, and engage constructively with its international human rights obligations. Poland in particular expressed regret that, despite constitutional provisions, the Government continued to control and restrict activity of minorities. The U.S. has condemned its systematic human rights violations and noted that government critics were at risk of harassment, arbitrary arrest, torture and ill-treatment, and even extrajudicial killings. It expressed concern over the situation of ethnic minorities.


Diaspora


Global Chin community

Given their persecution in Burma, thousands of Chins are scattered throughout
Europe Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a Continent#Subcontinents, subcontinent of Eurasia ...
, United States, and
Southeast Asia Southeast Asia, also spelled South East Asia and South-East Asia, and also known as Southeastern Asia, South-eastern Asia or SEA, is the geographical United Nations geoscheme for Asia#South-eastern Asia, south-eastern region of Asia, consistin ...
. American Baptist, British, and
Swedish Swedish or ' may refer to: Anything from or related to Sweden, a country in Northern Europe. Or, specifically: * Swedish language, a North Germanic language spoken primarily in Sweden and Finland ** Swedish alphabet, the official alphabet used by ...
Lutheran Lutheranism is one of the largest branches of Protestantism, identifying primarily with the theology of Martin Luther, the 16th-century German monk and reformer whose efforts to reform the theology and practice of the Catholic Church launched th ...
church groups have helped relocate thousands of Chin people.
Global Chin NewsWorld News in ChinWorld and Chin-Burmese News in ChinChin Cable NetworkChin News ChannelChinland Today
an
Chin Articles and News
are some well known Chin media websites that broadcast daily news in Chin languages.


Chin refugees

It is estimated that at least 60,000 Chin people refugees are living in India, while more than 20,000 Chin people refugees are living in
Malaysia Malaysia ( ; ) is a country in Southeast Asia. The federation, federal constitutional monarchy consists of States and federal territories of Malaysia, thirteen states and three federal territories, separated by the South China Sea into two r ...
. Several thousands more are scattered in
North America North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere and almost entirely within the Western Hemisphere. It is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South America and the Car ...
, Europe,
Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...
, and
New Zealand New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...
. The majority of Chin refugees entering the United States are Christians who are either young, single males, or young couples, some with children. Most are uneducated and come from small villages. Many Chin are pushed to leave by their parents for fear that they will be forced by the
Burmese government Myanmar ( also known as Burma) operates ''de jure'' as a unitary assembly-independent republic under its 2008 constitution. On 1 February 2021, Myanmar's military took over the government in a coup, causing ongoing anti-coup protests. Po ...
to take part in dangerous or difficult jobs that range from road paving to human mine sweeping. It has been documented that civilians forced to porter in Burma's conflict areas are sometimes sent before the troops so that they will detonate mines (Online Burma/Myanmar Library, 2010). The Chin people who flee from Burma usually enter the United States directly from
Thailand Thailand ( ), historically known as Siam () and officially the Kingdom of Thailand, is a country in Southeast Asia, located at the centre of the Indochinese Peninsula, spanning , with a population of almost 70 million. The country is bo ...
,
Malaysia Malaysia ( ; ) is a country in Southeast Asia. The federation, federal constitutional monarchy consists of States and federal territories of Malaysia, thirteen states and three federal territories, separated by the South China Sea into two r ...
, and India. For most leaving Burma, the trip is illegal, dangerous, and expensive. Many of those who have little money fled through boats, cars, or walk. Other who have more money went through airplanes. There are brokers involved who charge approximately $1,000 per person to transport
refugees A refugee, conventionally speaking, is a displaced person who has crossed national borders and who cannot or is unwilling to return home due to well-founded fear of persecution.
across the border. If those fleeing are caught by either the
Burmese government Myanmar ( also known as Burma) operates ''de jure'' as a unitary assembly-independent republic under its 2008 constitution. On 1 February 2021, Myanmar's military took over the government in a coup, causing ongoing anti-coup protests. Po ...
or the government of the country they are trying to enter, they face imprisonment that may include harsh treatment such as being beaten. Those in refugee camps (located mainly in Thailand) are told that it is easier to gain entry into the United States if they have children; thus, many young, new parents enter the United States and need jobs immediately in order to support their young families.


Mizoram response to Chins seeking refuge

Chins have restricted
freedom of movement Freedom of movement, mobility rights, or the right to travel is a human rights concept encompassing the right of individuals to travel from place to place within the territory of a country,Jérémiee Gilbert, ''Nomadic Peoples and Human Rights' ...
and their travel is limited by the SPDC which makes it difficult for them to escape persecution in Myanmar. They are left with no choice but to leave, without travel documents, to nearby states. Chins mainly travel to the Indian state of Mizoram and seek protection there. As of 2011, it is estimated that 100,000 Chins were living there. Initially, Mizoram welcomed the Chins. However, as the persecution worsened in Myanmar, the Mizoram population became less generous in terms of the protection it gave and its attitude towards Chins. However, this attitude has completely reversed beginning from the 21st Century, with people from both areas helping each other through disasters with a newfound realisation of shared identity. Previously, though some could flee from persecution in Myanmar, they faced a new problem when arriving in Mizoram. There they do not have legal immigration status and are subsequently treated as illegal aliens. As such, the Chins that arrive at Mizoram are placed in a "protracted, urban refugee situation" which is defined by the
United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) is a United Nations agency mandated to aid and protect refugees, forcibly displaced communities, and stateless people, and to assist in their voluntary repatriation, local integrati ...
(UNHCR) as a situation where refugees find themselves in a long-standing and intractable state of limbo. Their lives may not be at risk but their basic rights and essential economic, social, and psychological needs remain unfulfilled after years of exile. They face challenges related to livelihood, food, shelter, and healthcare. For some refugees, survival may be more difficult when compared to their former lives in Myanmar. Local integration is extremely challenging for Chins since they do not speak the local language and are not used to the regional culture and practices. Thus, many Chin live and do informal work on the outer margins of the community. As a result of not having any legal immigration status, many Chins have reported being arrested, detained, and fined for being foreigners. Some Chins are victims of labour exploitation and crime but do not report it to the police for fear of deportation. The Young Mizo Association (YMA) is a voluntary association in Mizoram whose mandate is to provide community service, which includes "conservation of Mizo culture and heritage". In the past, it has issued orders forcing Chins to leave Mizoram because they do not want foreigners in their country. This breaches the international principle of
non-refoulement Non-refoulement () is a fundamental principle of international law that forbids a country receiving asylum seekers from returning them to a country in which they would be in likely danger of persecution based on "race, religion, nationality, member ...
because if Chins were to be sent back to Myanmar, persecution and suffering would be inevitable for them. One interviewee who spoke to the Human Rights Watch recalled that members of the YMA carried sticks and went to each of the Chins' houses to ensure that they left Mizoram. The police also arrested Chins who did not leave and confined them in jail. The change in attitude of Mizoram is clearest during the 2021 Myanmar coup when the military overthrew the Myanmar government. Fearing persecution more than ten thousand Chins fled to Mizoram. In stark contrast to previous years, the Mizoram government took them in and protected them despite of direct orders from the Indian government to prevent refugees from entering India. Mizoram Chief Minister
Zoramthanga Zoramthanga (born 13 July 1944) is an Indian politician who is the Chief Minister of Mizoram. He is the president of Mizo National Front (MNF) party. He had served as the Chief Minister of Mizoram from December 1998 to December 2008, for two ...
sent a letter to the Indian government stating: “Myanmar areas bordering Mizoram are inhabited by Chin communities who are ethnically our Mizo brethren with whom we have been having close contacts throughout these years even before India became independent. Therefore Mizoram cannot remain indifferent to their suffering today. India cannot turn a blind eye to this humanitarian crisis unfolding right in front of us in our own backyard” This sentiment was shared throughout the state. The Young Mizo Association built refugee towns and supplied the refugees with food, clothes and money donated by people from all over Mizoram. On the request of Young Mizo Association, Mizoram allocated money for the refugees, which included lawmakers and even the chief minister of Chin state,
Salai Lian Luai Salai Lian Luai ( my, ဆလိုင်းလျန်လွယ်), a lawyer turned politician and currently serving as Chief Minister of Chin State, the head of Chin State Government. He received a law degree from Yangon University. He s ...
.


Notable Chin people

*
Gokhothang Goukhothang, Raja (–1872) was a prince from the Guite people, Guite family of Zo people, Zomi also known as Tedim Chin in Myanmar (Burma) and Paite language, Paite in India. He was known as the then leader of all Zo people as Carey and Tuck a ...
was a powerful
Guite Guite is the progenitor clan of Mizo people He is also said to be the Older Brother of Thadou progenitor of the Thadou people. Mostly the Guite clan speak mizo language . Some known as Zomi and few also as kuki in India and as Zogam in Myanmar ...
prince from Mualpi, also known as Go Khaw Thang, Go Khua Thang, or Kokutung (the latter being the name used by the historians Carey and Tuck). He is the only Zomi prince whom the neighboring Meitei (
Manipur Manipur () ( mni, Kangleipak) is a state in Northeast India, with the city of Imphal as its capital. It is bounded by the Indian states of Nagaland to the north, Mizoram to the south and Assam to the west. It also borders two regions of Myanm ...
) Kingdom ever acknowledged as
Raja ''Raja'' (; from , IAST ') is a royal title used for South Asian monarchs. The title is equivalent to king or princely ruler in South Asia and Southeast Asia. The title has a long history in South Asia and Southeast Asia, being attested f ...
(or
Ningthou Ningthou was a title used for the King of Manipur. The Ningthou was used to refer to the King after the reign of Pakhangba and was a title used until King Pamheiba. The subsequent Sanskritization undertaken by Pamheiba and Shantidas Adhikari chang ...
in Metei language). His powerful dominion included over seventy cities, towns, and villages. He became known as the leader of all Zo people.Bertram S. Carey and Henry N. Tuck, Chin Hills'', Vol 1 (1896), page 141. *
Pau Cin Hau Pau Cin Hau is the founder and the name of a religion followed by some Tedim, Hakha in Chin state and Kale in Sagaing division in the north-western part of Myanmar. Pau Cin Hau was born in the Tedim (Tiddim) in 1859; and lived until 1948. He sta ...
was a prophet who lived around 1859. He created a script for the
Zo people The Zomi are an ethnic group which can be found in India, Myanmar and in Chittagong hill tracks of Bangladesh. The word Zomi is used to describe an ethnic group, which is also known as the Chin, the Mizo, the Kuki, or a number of other names ...
named Zo tuallai. He also founded the Laipan religion. This religion was very popular among the
Zo people The Zomi are an ethnic group which can be found in India, Myanmar and in Chittagong hill tracks of Bangladesh. The word Zomi is used to describe an ethnic group, which is also known as the Chin, the Mizo, the Kuki, or a number of other names ...
before the arrival of American missionaries. *Living around 1867, Khai Kam Suantak was a famous Chin leader. He ruled over the largest country in the Chin hills. Khai Kam College in Kalemyo was named in his honor, although it had since been renamed Kale College. *
Zoramthanga Zoramthanga (born 13 July 1944) is an Indian politician who is the Chief Minister of Mizoram. He is the president of Mizo National Front (MNF) party. He had served as the Chief Minister of Mizoram from December 1998 to December 2008, for two ...
, was a
boxer Boxer most commonly refers to: * Boxer (boxing), a competitor in the sport of boxing *Boxer (dog), a breed of dog Boxer or boxers may also refer to: Animal kingdom * Boxer crab * Boxer shrimp, a small group of decapod crustaceans * Boxer snipe ee ...
who won a bronze medal at the 1990
Bombay Mumbai (, ; also known as Bombay — the official name until 1995) is the capital city of the Indian state of Maharashtra and the ''de facto'' financial centre of India. According to the United Nations, as of 2018, Mumbai is the second- ...
Boxing World Cup The Boxing World Cup was an international boxing event organized by the International Boxing Association (AIBA), featuring boxers competing in different weight divisions. It was held from 1979 to 1998 as an individual competition and from 2002 to ...
. *
Taik Chun Captain Aung San Thuriya Thuya Taik Chon (aka) Captain Taik Chon (serial no: BC/5453 and BC/7288) was the only Chin (Matu) soldier to have received both ''Thuya'' and ''Aung San Thuriya'' Medal, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantr ...
, a recipient of
Aung San Thuriya This article considers the religious, military and civil orders, decorations and medals of Union of Myanmar. Religious honorary orders Before and after Myanmar's independence, governments presented two religious orders, Abhidhaja Maha Rathta ...
medal, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry and bravery. * *
Henry Van Thio Henry Van Thio (; born 9 August 1959) is a Burmese politician who is the Second Vice President of Myanmar since 30 March 2016. He previously served as a member of Amyotha Hluttaw (House of Nationalities). In the 2015 election, he contested and ...
, politician and vice-president of Burma. * Cheery Zahau is a Chin human rights activist, women's right activist, feminist, politician, writer, development and peace leader. She is the founder and leader of "Women's League of Chinland" and winner of
UNDP The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)french: Programme des Nations unies pour le développement, PNUD is a United Nations agency tasked with helping countries eliminate poverty and achieve sustainable economic growth and human dev ...
's
N-Peace Awards N-Peace, or ‘Engage for Equality, Access, Community and Empowerment’ is a UNDP flagship initiative founded in 2010 to commemorate a decade of UNSCR 1325 implementation via the Women, Peace and Security (WPS) agenda. Currently unique to the ...
2017. *
Thet Mon Myint Thet Mon Myint ( my, သက်မွန်မြင့်; born Zung Cer Mawi; on 23 July 1982) is a two-time Myanmar Academy Award winning actress and model. She is the Myanmar's fourth highest-paid actress. In 2019, she was listed on The Mya ...
is Chin actress, one of the legendary actresses in the industry. She won two Myanmar Academy awards for best actress. * Benjamin Sum, singer and ''Myanmar Idol'' season 4 runners up * Esther Dawt Chin Sung, singer and winner of ''Myanmar Idol'' season 4


See also

*
Chin Student Association The Chin Students' Association (CSA) is the student body of the Zomi people living in the country of India. It is one of the main bodies of the TCU or Tedim Chin Union. There is also another body known as the CYA, or Chin Youth Association. It ...


References


External links


Chin Cultural ProfileChin Bible

Zomi Re-unification OrganisationiChin National FrontEnglish - Zomi/Chin Online dictionaryHuman Rights Watch Report on Persecution of ChinsReport on Chin People Seeking Refuge in Mizoram
{{DEFAULTSORT:Chin People Ethnic groups in Myanmar Kuki tribes Headhunting>Matu The Matu District is a district in Mukah Division, Sarawak, Malaysia. Before Mukah Division was established, Matu was within Sibu Division. There are more than 20 villages in the district, with Melanau Melanau or ''A-Likou'' (meaning River ...
, Mara people, Mara, Yaw, Asho,
Cho Cho or CHO may refer to: People * Chief Happiness Officer Surnames * Cho (Korean surname), one romanization of the common Korean surname * Zhuo (), romanized Cho in Wade–Giles, Chinese surname * Cho, a Minnan romanization of the Chinese sur ...
, Kuki, Laimi, Mizo, Zotung and Khumi. Each Tribe has hundreds of clans and family tree. Although the word "Chin" is absent among the Chin language, it is found to be used by these people since the 8th century. Therefore, the majority of people living in Chin State accepted the name "Chin".


Attempts at unification

The realization that the Zomi are one group that share common dialectical roots and customs despite separation by international and state boundaries, brought about movements for unification of the occupied territories and of the people. One of the first movements was the Mizo National Movement which ended with the formation of the
Mizoram State Mizoram () is a state in Northeast India, with Aizawl as its seat of government and capital city. The name of the state is derived from " Mizo", the self-described name of the native inhabitants, and "Ram", which in the Mizo language means "lan ...
in India. * The re-unification of the Chin-Kuki-Mizo people in the
Chin Hills The Chin Hills are a range of mountains in Chin State, northwestern Burma, Burma (Myanmar), that extends northward into India's Manipur state. Geography The highest peak in the Chin Hills is Khonu Msung, or Mount Victoria, in southern Chin State ...
, Manipur Hills, Biate Hills, Hmar Hills, Riam Hills, Rakhaing Hills, Lakher Hills, Yaw plains, Lushai Hill, Chindwin plains and the Chittagong Hill area arouse in 1990 with the
Zomi Revolutionary Army The Zomi Revolutionary Army ( my, ဇိုမီး တော်လှန်ရေး တပ်မတော်; abbreviated ZRA) is an armed Zomi nationalist insurgent group formed in 1997, following an increase in ethnic tensions between the ...
. It is an armed group in
Manipur Manipur () ( mni, Kangleipak) is a state in Northeast India, with the city of Imphal as its capital. It is bounded by the Indian states of Nagaland to the north, Mizoram to the south and Assam to the west. It also borders two regions of Myanm ...
, India.


Culture


Chin National Day

The Chin National Day is celebrated annually on February 20, which is the day the Chin people abolished the slavery system or chieftainship. The first Chin National Day was celebrated in 1951 at
Mindat Mindat may refer to: Places in Burma/Myanmar *Mindat, Chin State, in Burma *Mindat Township, in Burma *Mindat District in Chin State, Burma Other uses *Mindat Min Kanaung Mintha ( my, ကနောင်မင်းသား; 31 January 1820 ...
. People display many traditional dance such as bamboo dance, Sarlam (conquest dance), Khuangcawi(a lady is lifted by a crowd), Ruakhatlak/Cherua and many other dances from each group. One of the big events on Chin National Day is the traditional wrestling (Lai Paih). There is also Miss competition from each town or city in Chin State. Other events, such as fashion shows and singing also take place in Chin National Day. Traditional food, such as Sabuti/Sabaktui ( hominy corn soup) and Chang (rice cake) are served.


Clothing

There are several tradition dresses such as
Matu The Matu District is a district in Mukah Division, Sarawak, Malaysia. Before Mukah Division was established, Matu was within Sibu Division. There are more than 20 villages in the district, with Melanau Melanau or ''A-Likou'' (meaning River ...
,
Falam Falam (, ) is a town in north-western Burma (Myanmar) near Burma's western border with the Indian state of Mizoram. The town was founded by Taisun tribe. The British arrived to Falam in 1892, and became an important base for British rule of the ...
,
Tedim Tedim (, , ( Zo: ''Tedim Khawpi'', pronounced ; is a town in and the administrative seat of Tedim Township, Chin State, in the north-western part of Burma. It is the second largest town in Chin State. The town's four major boroughs (''vengte'') a ...
, Zo, Tapong, Zotung,
Mindat Mindat may refer to: Places in Burma/Myanmar *Mindat, Chin State, in Burma *Mindat Township, in Burma *Mindat District in Chin State, Burma Other uses *Mindat Min Kanaung Mintha ( my, ကနောင်မင်းသား; 31 January 1820 ...
, Mara people, Mara, etc. The main colors use for these traditional dresses are red, green and black. Accessories such as bracelets, necklaces, hairpins and rings also play a huge role when it comes to traditional clothing as they complete the overall looks of the Chin. Chin people do not wear these clothes in daily life. They wear these on special occasions like Sundays, weddings
Chin National Day
and any other important occasions


Sports

Wrestling Wrestling is a series of combat sports involving grappling-type techniques such as clinch fighting, throws and takedowns, joint locks, pins and other grappling holds. Wrestling techniques have been incorporated into martial arts, combat ...
is a part of the Chin people's tradition.
Chin United F.C. Chin United Football Club is a Burmese football club. The club is based in Chin State and is one of the two teams representing the state along with GFA FC. The club is composed mostly of Chin players, who claimed to have faced ethnic prejudice ...
represents the Chin people in Burmese
association football Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a team sport played between two teams of 11 players who primarily use their feet to propel the ball around a rectangular field called a pitch. The objective of the game is ...
. The club play in the
Myanmar National League The MPT Myanmar National League ( my, မြန်မာ နေရှင်နယ် လိဂ်; abbreviated MNL) is the premier national professional football league of Myanmar. In 2009, the league replaced the Myanmar Premier League, which co ...
.


Language

There are 31 different varieties of the Chin language, which are also spoken in India and Bangladesh. The largest varieties in three countries are: * Mizo Chin along with Lusei, Hualngo, Hmar estimated 1,000,000+ * Zomi Tedim Chin with an estimated 344,000 speakers * Thadou Kuki Chin estimated 300,000 * Asho Chin 200,000-300,000 * Falam Chin with an estimated 50,300 speakers * Haka Chin (Hakha) with an estimated 125,000 speakers * Matu Chin 25,000 speakers * Khumi Chin 90,000 * Mara Chin with an estimated 50,000 speakers * Cho Chin 60,000 * Zotung Chin 35,000 There are also many different accents among the same dialects. Many Chin people, especially students also speak Burmese, since it is the primary official language in
Myanmar Myanmar, ; UK pronunciations: US pronunciations incl. . Note: Wikipedia's IPA conventions require indicating /r/ even in British English although only some British English speakers pronounce r at the end of syllables. As John C. Wells, Joh ...
and it is taught in school.


Religion

Traditionally, the Chin peoples were
animist Animism (from Latin: ' meaning 'breath, Soul, spirit, life') is the belief that objects, places, and creatures all possess a distinct Spirituality, spiritual essence. Potentially, animism perceives all things—Animal, animals, Plant, plants, Ro ...
s. However, in the late 1800s, the first Christian missionaries arrived in the Chin State, and began sharing the message of
Christianity Christianity is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth. It is the world's largest and most widespread religion with roughly 2.38 billion followers representing one-third of the global pop ...
with indigenous people. Due to the work of the
Baptist Baptists form a major branch of Protestantism distinguished by baptizing professing Christian believers only (believer's baptism), and doing so by complete immersion. Baptist churches also generally subscribe to the doctrines of soul compete ...
Arthur E. Carson, their efforts were successful, and today the majority of Chin are Christians, with most belonging to
Protestant Protestantism is a Christian denomination, branch of Christianity that follows the theological tenets of the Reformation, Protestant Reformation, a movement that began seeking to reform the Catholic Church from within in the 16th century agai ...
denominations, especially Baptist.David Shavit
"The United States in Asia: A Historical Dictionary"
Retrieved 2012-05-13. Many Chin people have served as evangelists and pastors, ministering in places such as the United States, Australia, Guam, and India. The Chin people's adoption of Christianity was not followed by the rest of Burma, and, since independence, the military government has persecuted the Chin people on religious grounds. Christianity grew from 35% in 1966 to 90% in 2010. Since the late 20th century, a group of Chin, Kuki, and Mizo peoples claim descent from
Bnei Menashe The Bnei Menashe ( he, בני מנשה, "Children of Menasseh", known as the Shinlung in India) is a community of people from various Tibeto-Burmese ethnic groups from the border of India and Burma who claim descent from one of the Lost Tribes ...
, one of the
Lost Tribes of Israel The ten lost tribes were the ten of the Twelve Tribes of Israel that were said to have been exiled from the Kingdom of Israel after its conquest by the Neo-Assyrian Empire BCE. These are the tribes of Reuben, Simeon, Dan, Naphtali, Gad, Ashe ...
and have adopted the practice of
Judaism Judaism ( he, ''Yahăḏūṯ'') is an Abrahamic, monotheistic, and ethnic religion comprising the collective religious, cultural, and legal tradition and civilization of the Jewish people. It has its roots as an organized religion in the ...
.


Human rights violations against Chin peoples

The Chin people in Myanmar are one of the minority ethnic groups that have suffered widespread and ongoing ethnic and religious persecution ever since General Ne Win overthrew the democratically elected government in 1962. The predominant religion in Myanmar is
Buddhism Buddhism ( , ), also known as Buddha Dharma and Dharmavinaya (), is an Indian religion or philosophical tradition based on teachings attributed to the Buddha. It originated in northern India as a -movement in the 5th century BCE, and gra ...
, however, the Chin people are largely Christian due to American missionary work in the 19th and 20th century. This has led to continuous attempts at forced assimilation. There have been recorded numerous crimes against humanity in Myanmar's western Chin state, committed mainly by the
Tatmadaw Tatmadaw (, , ) is the official name of the armed forces of Myanmar (formerly Burma). It is administered by the Ministry of Defence and composed of the Myanmar Army, the Myanmar Navy and the Myanmar Air Force. Auxiliary services include th ...
(members of the Burmese Army) and police; however, other agents of the military government and the
State Peace and Development Council The State Peace and Development Council ( my, နိုင်ငံတော် အေးချမ်းသာယာရေး နှင့် ဖွံ့ဖြိုးရေး ကောင်စီ ; abbreviated SPDC or , ) was the offi ...
(SPDC) are also involved. Despite continued persecution, little has been done on the part of the Chin people to speak out due to fear of reprisal, restrictions on travel, and the press imposed by the Burmese military regime. In their oppression of the Chin people, the Tatmadaw consistently violate the rule of law. The Chin people have been subject to
forced labor Forced labour, or unfree labour, is any work relation, especially in modern or early modern history, in which people are employed against their will with the threat of destitution, detention, violence including death, or other forms of ex ...
,
torture Torture is the deliberate infliction of severe pain or suffering on a person for reasons such as punishment, extracting a confession, interrogation for information, or intimidating third parties. Some definitions are restricted to acts c ...
, arbitrary arrests,
unlawful detention False imprisonment or unlawful imprisonment occurs when a person intentionally restricts another person’s movement within any area without legal authority, justification, or the restrained person's permission. Actual physical restraint is ...
, and
extrajudicial killings An extrajudicial killing (also known as extrajudicial execution or extralegal killing) is the deliberate killing of a person without the lawful authority granted by a judicial proceeding. It typically refers to government authorities, whether ...
. Such treatment has incited a mass exodus of refugees who have left to neighboring nations such as India, Thailand, and Malaysia, even though doing so will risk further torture, detention, or even death. India is the most common destination for Chin refugees, given its close proximity, yet
Mizoram Mizoram () is a state in Northeast India, with Aizawl as its seat of government and capital city. The name of the state is derived from "Mizo people, Mizo", the endonym, self-described name of the native inhabitants, and "Ram", which in the Mizo ...
(the state in India with the largest Chin population) does not give them full refugee protection and they have no legal status there.


Extrajudicial killings

The
right to life The right to life is the belief that a being has the right to live and, in particular, should not be killed by another entity. The concept of a right to life arises in debates on issues including capital punishment, with some people seeing it as ...
is a non-derogable (not revocable under any circumstances), as outlined in the
Universal Declaration of Human Rights The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) is an international document adopted by the United Nations General Assembly that enshrines the Human rights, rights and freedoms of all human beings. Drafted by a UN Drafting of the Universal De ...
(UDHR) and the
International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights The International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) is a multilateral treaty that commits nations to respect the civil and political rights of individuals, including the right to life, freedom of religion, freedom of speech, freedo ...
(ICCPR). The articles in the ICCPR are binding on member states that have ratified the ICCPR, however, Myanmar is one of few states that have neither signed nor ratified it. Article 3 of the UDHR states that everyone has the right to life, liberty and security of a person and article 6 of the ICCPR states that every human being has the inherent right to life and no one shall be arbitrarily deprived of his or her life. Myanmar has also ratified the
Convention on the Rights of the Child The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (commonly abbreviated as the CRC or UNCRC) is an international human rights treaty which sets out the civil, political, economic, social, health and cultural rights of children. The Con ...
(CRC) and article 6 states that parties to the Convention must recognize that every child has the inherent right to life. Despite these international instruments prohibiting
extrajudicial killings An extrajudicial killing (also known as extrajudicial execution or extralegal killing) is the deliberate killing of a person without the lawful authority granted by a judicial proceeding. It typically refers to government authorities, whether ...
, they still occur to the Chins in Myanmar. Extrajudicial killings are committed by the SPDC and the Tatmadaw in Chin state, and the killers are never brought to justice.
Human Rights Watch Human Rights Watch (HRW) is an international non-governmental organization, headquartered in New York City, that conducts research and advocacy on human rights. The group pressures governments, policy makers, companies, and individual human r ...
(HRW) has conducted several interviews with Chins who have fled Myanmar to produce a full report outlining the types of persecution that they face. In an interview with HRW, a Chin pastor described an incident that he witnessed in 2006 in
Falam township Falam Township ( my, ဖလမ်းမြို့နယ်) is a township of Falam District in the Chin State of Burma (Myanmar). Its administrative seat is the town of Falam. The population, as of 2014, is 41,457 (male:20,350; female: 21,107). ...
. He stated that the SPDC was searching for members of the opposing
Chin National Army The Chin National Army ( my, ချင်းအမျိုးသားတပ်မတော်; abbreviated CNA) is a Chin ethnic armed organisation in Myanmar (Burma). It is the armed wing of the Chin National Front (CNF), and was founded on ...
(CNA) throughout the entire town, but when no information was given, they beat the village council headman and ultimately shot him dead. The Chin Human Rights Organization (CHRO) documented that between 2005 and 2007, sixteen extrajudicial killings occurred with four of them being children. Also between 2006 and 2010, seven Chin men were killed because they were suspected of supporting the CNA and four Chin women were raped before being murdered.


Arbitrary arrests, detention and attacks

Under section 61 of the Myanmar Code of Criminal Procedure 1898, a person who is arrested without a warrant must not be detained for more than twenty-four hours. Section 340 states a person who has proceedings against him or her has the right to legal representation. Also, article 9 of the UDHR states that no one shall be subjected to arbitrary arrest, detention, or exile. Despite the presence of legal structures and
international law International law (also known as public international law and the law of nations) is the set of rules, norms, and standards generally recognized as binding between states. It establishes normative guidelines and a common conceptual framework for ...
, the rule of law is not followed in Myanmar and arbitrary arrests, detention, and attacks are still carried out by the Tatmadaw and SPDC. A number of Chins who were interviewed by Human Rights Watch describe the abuses in detail. One Chin man recalls back to the year 2000 when he was 16 years old. He was approached by the Burmese police and Tatmadaw who were accusing him of being connected to the CNA, even though he told them he was not and had never even contacted anyone from the CNA or other opposition groups before. The police and Tatmadaw refused to believe him, and beat him with the end of their guns until the man's head was split open. They also used electricity from a battery to torture him and would only stop if the man would tell them information about the CNA. For the Chins that are unlucky, they will be confined and locked up in detention facilities. These facilities are inadequate and unsuitable for anyone to be detained in. When interviewed by the Human Rights Watch, former innocent prisoners gave detailed descriptions of the harsh conditions inside detention facilities and stated that they were overcrowded, unsanitary, and infested with insects. Furthermore, prisoners are only given
gruel Gruel is a food consisting of some type of cereal—such as ground oats, wheat, rye, or rice—heated or boiled in water or milk. It is a thinner version of porridge that may be more often drunk rather than eaten. Historically, gruel has been a ...
to eat and no water to drink, which gave some prisoners no choice but to drink the dirty toilet water.


Forced labor

Myanmar has been a part of the
International Labour Organization The International Labour Organization (ILO) is a United Nations agency whose mandate is to advance social and economic justice by setting international labour standards. Founded in October 1919 under the League of Nations, it is the first and o ...
(ILO) since 1948 and in 1955, it ratified the 1930
Forced Labour Convention The Forced Labour Convention, the full title of which is the Convention Concerning Forced or Compulsory Labour, 1930 (No.29), is one of eight ILO fundamental conventions of the International Labour Organization. Its object and purpose is to sup ...
(No.29). Article 1 of the Convention states that each member of the ILO which ratifies this Convention undertakes to suppress the use of forced labour in all its forms within the shortest possible period. As a member state of the ILO, Myanmar has an obligation to honour the provisions contained under the eight core Conventions outlined in the ILO, which includes prohibition of forced labour. The Convention on the Rights of the Child also protects children from economic exploitation or any labour that is likely to be harmful to the child's health or physical, mental, spiritual, moral or social development, or likely to interfere with the child's education. The Myanmar government properly responded to its obligations, and in 1999 it issued Legislative Order No. 1/99, which states that whoever unlawfully compels any person to labour against the will of that person shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term of one year, or with a fine, or both. In 2007, the
Federation of Trade Unions of Burma The Confederation of Trade Unions, Myanmar (CTUM), formerly known as the Federation of Trade Unions of Burma (FTUB), is a trade union in Myanmar (Burma). As of 2018, CTUM had 65,002 members, ahead of the Agriculture and Farmers Federation of My ...
(FTUB), which records and reports violations of forced labour in Myanmar collected approximately 3500 cases of forced labour mainly involving the Chins in Chin state. Despite the legal structures set in statute, the military government fails to enforce the law and continuously turns a blind eye to forced labour that the Chins still presently endure. In June 2006, the SPDC Minister of Information stated that the Tatmadaw were doing everything legally and that forced labour was never used. Forty-four Chin people interviewed by Human Rights Watch gave statements that they experienced forced labour themselves, and another fifty-two reported they were forced to porter for the Tatmadaw. One of them remembered that the Tatmadaw would call him to work for months, building houses for the SPDC or erecting fences for the army camp. Nothing was provided for him and he had to bring his own tools and equipment. There was no payment, and if he did not show up to work, the Tatmadaw would beat him. Forced labour disrupts the livelihood of the workers and prevents them from doing their regular jobs to support their families. Another Chin woman told the HRW of times where she was forced to porter more than ten times for the Tatmadaw. She would do it for days on end and would have to carry thirty-kilogram bags for up to twenty miles at a time. If she did not keep up the pace with the Tatmadaw, they would beat her and the other porters too. One time, she even refused orders, but the Tatmadaw replied by saying "you are living under our authority. You have no choice. You must do what we say" and beat her again.


Research

In 2011, there is
research project
regarding the human rights violations and health in Chin state. The researchers use " multistaged household cluster" sample and heads of household are interviewed on the health status, access to health care, food insecurity, human rights violations such as forced labor and forced displacement during the last 12 months. In the research data that they state that in 618 households, there are 568 cases of people suffering any forced labor. In 597 households, there are 468 cases of people forcing to do build bridges, roads, and buildings. There are also 36 cases of household member being imprisoned or detained.


Universal Periodic Review of Myanmar

The
Universal Periodic Review The Universal Periodic Review (UPR) is a mechanism of the United Nations (UN) Human Rights Council (HRC) that emerged from the 2005 UN reform process.resolution 60/251of 3 April 2006, the UPR periodically examines the human rights performance of all ...
(UPR) on Myanmar had a section for the protection and promotion of human rights in Myanmar. It summarized that Myanmar provided legal provisions under section 348 of the Constitution of the Republic of the Union of Myanmar, concerning the guarantee of non-discrimination of any kind as to race, colour, sex, language, religion, political opinion, poverty, birth, or other status. It states that capital punishment is prescribed under the law to be imposed only for the most serious of crimes and to only be carried out pursuant to the final judgment of a competent court. Further, the UPR states that the Penal Code of Myanmar prohibits torture, degrading treatment, arbitrary arrest, and that arrest of anyone must be done in accordance with procedure established under law. Additionally, it states that Myanmar provides the right of peaceful assembly and freedom of association. The summary seems to be contradictory to the real-life experiences of the Chin people. States such as the United States of America, Jordan, New Zealand, Poland, and others have made recommendations to Myanmar concerning its human rights violations. There were recommendations for Myanmar to improve human rights, address humanitarian needs of its people, and engage constructively with its international human rights obligations. Poland in particular expressed regret that, despite constitutional provisions, the Government continued to control and restrict activity of minorities. The U.S. has condemned its systematic human rights violations and noted that government critics were at risk of harassment, arbitrary arrest, torture and ill-treatment, and even extrajudicial killings. It expressed concern over the situation of ethnic minorities.


Diaspora


Global Chin community

Given their persecution in Burma, thousands of Chins are scattered throughout
Europe Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a Continent#Subcontinents, subcontinent of Eurasia ...
, United States, and
Southeast Asia Southeast Asia, also spelled South East Asia and South-East Asia, and also known as Southeastern Asia, South-eastern Asia or SEA, is the geographical United Nations geoscheme for Asia#South-eastern Asia, south-eastern region of Asia, consistin ...
. American Baptist, British, and
Swedish Swedish or ' may refer to: Anything from or related to Sweden, a country in Northern Europe. Or, specifically: * Swedish language, a North Germanic language spoken primarily in Sweden and Finland ** Swedish alphabet, the official alphabet used by ...
Lutheran Lutheranism is one of the largest branches of Protestantism, identifying primarily with the theology of Martin Luther, the 16th-century German monk and reformer whose efforts to reform the theology and practice of the Catholic Church launched th ...
church groups have helped relocate thousands of Chin people.
Global Chin NewsWorld News in ChinWorld and Chin-Burmese News in ChinChin Cable NetworkChin News ChannelChinland Today
an
Chin Articles and News
are some well known Chin media websites that broadcast daily news in Chin languages.


Chin refugees

It is estimated that at least 60,000 Chin people refugees are living in India, while more than 20,000 Chin people refugees are living in
Malaysia Malaysia ( ; ) is a country in Southeast Asia. The federation, federal constitutional monarchy consists of States and federal territories of Malaysia, thirteen states and three federal territories, separated by the South China Sea into two r ...
. Several thousands more are scattered in
North America North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere and almost entirely within the Western Hemisphere. It is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South America and the Car ...
, Europe,
Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...
, and
New Zealand New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...
. The majority of Chin refugees entering the United States are Christians who are either young, single males, or young couples, some with children. Most are uneducated and come from small villages. Many Chin are pushed to leave by their parents for fear that they will be forced by the
Burmese government Myanmar ( also known as Burma) operates ''de jure'' as a unitary assembly-independent republic under its 2008 constitution. On 1 February 2021, Myanmar's military took over the government in a coup, causing ongoing anti-coup protests. Po ...
to take part in dangerous or difficult jobs that range from road paving to human mine sweeping. It has been documented that civilians forced to porter in Burma's conflict areas are sometimes sent before the troops so that they will detonate mines (Online Burma/Myanmar Library, 2010). The Chin people who flee from Burma usually enter the United States directly from
Thailand Thailand ( ), historically known as Siam () and officially the Kingdom of Thailand, is a country in Southeast Asia, located at the centre of the Indochinese Peninsula, spanning , with a population of almost 70 million. The country is bo ...
,
Malaysia Malaysia ( ; ) is a country in Southeast Asia. The federation, federal constitutional monarchy consists of States and federal territories of Malaysia, thirteen states and three federal territories, separated by the South China Sea into two r ...
, and India. For most leaving Burma, the trip is illegal, dangerous, and expensive. Many of those who have little money fled through boats, cars, or walk. Other who have more money went through airplanes. There are brokers involved who charge approximately $1,000 per person to transport
refugees A refugee, conventionally speaking, is a displaced person who has crossed national borders and who cannot or is unwilling to return home due to well-founded fear of persecution.
across the border. If those fleeing are caught by either the
Burmese government Myanmar ( also known as Burma) operates ''de jure'' as a unitary assembly-independent republic under its 2008 constitution. On 1 February 2021, Myanmar's military took over the government in a coup, causing ongoing anti-coup protests. Po ...
or the government of the country they are trying to enter, they face imprisonment that may include harsh treatment such as being beaten. Those in refugee camps (located mainly in Thailand) are told that it is easier to gain entry into the United States if they have children; thus, many young, new parents enter the United States and need jobs immediately in order to support their young families.


Mizoram response to Chins seeking refuge

Chins have restricted
freedom of movement Freedom of movement, mobility rights, or the right to travel is a human rights concept encompassing the right of individuals to travel from place to place within the territory of a country,Jérémiee Gilbert, ''Nomadic Peoples and Human Rights' ...
and their travel is limited by the SPDC which makes it difficult for them to escape persecution in Myanmar. They are left with no choice but to leave, without travel documents, to nearby states. Chins mainly travel to the Indian state of Mizoram and seek protection there. As of 2011, it is estimated that 100,000 Chins were living there. Initially, Mizoram welcomed the Chins. However, as the persecution worsened in Myanmar, the Mizoram population became less generous in terms of the protection it gave and its attitude towards Chins. However, this attitude has completely reversed beginning from the 21st Century, with people from both areas helping each other through disasters with a newfound realisation of shared identity. Previously, though some could flee from persecution in Myanmar, they faced a new problem when arriving in Mizoram. There they do not have legal immigration status and are subsequently treated as illegal aliens. As such, the Chins that arrive at Mizoram are placed in a "protracted, urban refugee situation" which is defined by the
United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) is a United Nations agency mandated to aid and protect refugees, forcibly displaced communities, and stateless people, and to assist in their voluntary repatriation, local integrati ...
(UNHCR) as a situation where refugees find themselves in a long-standing and intractable state of limbo. Their lives may not be at risk but their basic rights and essential economic, social, and psychological needs remain unfulfilled after years of exile. They face challenges related to livelihood, food, shelter, and healthcare. For some refugees, survival may be more difficult when compared to their former lives in Myanmar. Local integration is extremely challenging for Chins since they do not speak the local language and are not used to the regional culture and practices. Thus, many Chin live and do informal work on the outer margins of the community. As a result of not having any legal immigration status, many Chins have reported being arrested, detained, and fined for being foreigners. Some Chins are victims of labour exploitation and crime but do not report it to the police for fear of deportation. The Young Mizo Association (YMA) is a voluntary association in Mizoram whose mandate is to provide community service, which includes "conservation of Mizo culture and heritage". In the past, it has issued orders forcing Chins to leave Mizoram because they do not want foreigners in their country. This breaches the international principle of
non-refoulement Non-refoulement () is a fundamental principle of international law that forbids a country receiving asylum seekers from returning them to a country in which they would be in likely danger of persecution based on "race, religion, nationality, member ...
because if Chins were to be sent back to Myanmar, persecution and suffering would be inevitable for them. One interviewee who spoke to the Human Rights Watch recalled that members of the YMA carried sticks and went to each of the Chins' houses to ensure that they left Mizoram. The police also arrested Chins who did not leave and confined them in jail. The change in attitude of Mizoram is clearest during the 2021 Myanmar coup when the military overthrew the Myanmar government. Fearing persecution more than ten thousand Chins fled to Mizoram. In stark contrast to previous years, the Mizoram government took them in and protected them despite of direct orders from the Indian government to prevent refugees from entering India. Mizoram Chief Minister
Zoramthanga Zoramthanga (born 13 July 1944) is an Indian politician who is the Chief Minister of Mizoram. He is the president of Mizo National Front (MNF) party. He had served as the Chief Minister of Mizoram from December 1998 to December 2008, for two ...
sent a letter to the Indian government stating: “Myanmar areas bordering Mizoram are inhabited by Chin communities who are ethnically our Mizo brethren with whom we have been having close contacts throughout these years even before India became independent. Therefore Mizoram cannot remain indifferent to their suffering today. India cannot turn a blind eye to this humanitarian crisis unfolding right in front of us in our own backyard” This sentiment was shared throughout the state. The Young Mizo Association built refugee towns and supplied the refugees with food, clothes and money donated by people from all over Mizoram. On the request of Young Mizo Association, Mizoram allocated money for the refugees, which included lawmakers and even the chief minister of Chin state,
Salai Lian Luai Salai Lian Luai ( my, ဆလိုင်းလျန်လွယ်), a lawyer turned politician and currently serving as Chief Minister of Chin State, the head of Chin State Government. He received a law degree from Yangon University. He s ...
.


Notable Chin people

*
Gokhothang Goukhothang, Raja (–1872) was a prince from the Guite people, Guite family of Zo people, Zomi also known as Tedim Chin in Myanmar (Burma) and Paite language, Paite in India. He was known as the then leader of all Zo people as Carey and Tuck a ...
was a powerful
Guite Guite is the progenitor clan of Mizo people He is also said to be the Older Brother of Thadou progenitor of the Thadou people. Mostly the Guite clan speak mizo language . Some known as Zomi and few also as kuki in India and as Zogam in Myanmar ...
prince from Mualpi, also known as Go Khaw Thang, Go Khua Thang, or Kokutung (the latter being the name used by the historians Carey and Tuck). He is the only Zomi prince whom the neighboring Meitei (
Manipur Manipur () ( mni, Kangleipak) is a state in Northeast India, with the city of Imphal as its capital. It is bounded by the Indian states of Nagaland to the north, Mizoram to the south and Assam to the west. It also borders two regions of Myanm ...
) Kingdom ever acknowledged as
Raja ''Raja'' (; from , IAST ') is a royal title used for South Asian monarchs. The title is equivalent to king or princely ruler in South Asia and Southeast Asia. The title has a long history in South Asia and Southeast Asia, being attested f ...
(or
Ningthou Ningthou was a title used for the King of Manipur. The Ningthou was used to refer to the King after the reign of Pakhangba and was a title used until King Pamheiba. The subsequent Sanskritization undertaken by Pamheiba and Shantidas Adhikari chang ...
in Metei language). His powerful dominion included over seventy cities, towns, and villages. He became known as the leader of all Zo people.Bertram S. Carey and Henry N. Tuck, Chin Hills'', Vol 1 (1896), page 141. *
Pau Cin Hau Pau Cin Hau is the founder and the name of a religion followed by some Tedim, Hakha in Chin state and Kale in Sagaing division in the north-western part of Myanmar. Pau Cin Hau was born in the Tedim (Tiddim) in 1859; and lived until 1948. He sta ...
was a prophet who lived around 1859. He created a script for the
Zo people The Zomi are an ethnic group which can be found in India, Myanmar and in Chittagong hill tracks of Bangladesh. The word Zomi is used to describe an ethnic group, which is also known as the Chin, the Mizo, the Kuki, or a number of other names ...
named Zo tuallai. He also founded the Laipan religion. This religion was very popular among the
Zo people The Zomi are an ethnic group which can be found in India, Myanmar and in Chittagong hill tracks of Bangladesh. The word Zomi is used to describe an ethnic group, which is also known as the Chin, the Mizo, the Kuki, or a number of other names ...
before the arrival of American missionaries. *Living around 1867, Khai Kam Suantak was a famous Chin leader. He ruled over the largest country in the Chin hills. Khai Kam College in Kalemyo was named in his honor, although it had since been renamed Kale College. *
Zoramthanga Zoramthanga (born 13 July 1944) is an Indian politician who is the Chief Minister of Mizoram. He is the president of Mizo National Front (MNF) party. He had served as the Chief Minister of Mizoram from December 1998 to December 2008, for two ...
, was a
boxer Boxer most commonly refers to: * Boxer (boxing), a competitor in the sport of boxing *Boxer (dog), a breed of dog Boxer or boxers may also refer to: Animal kingdom * Boxer crab * Boxer shrimp, a small group of decapod crustaceans * Boxer snipe ee ...
who won a bronze medal at the 1990
Bombay Mumbai (, ; also known as Bombay — the official name until 1995) is the capital city of the Indian state of Maharashtra and the ''de facto'' financial centre of India. According to the United Nations, as of 2018, Mumbai is the second- ...
Boxing World Cup The Boxing World Cup was an international boxing event organized by the International Boxing Association (AIBA), featuring boxers competing in different weight divisions. It was held from 1979 to 1998 as an individual competition and from 2002 to ...
. *
Taik Chun Captain Aung San Thuriya Thuya Taik Chon (aka) Captain Taik Chon (serial no: BC/5453 and BC/7288) was the only Chin (Matu) soldier to have received both ''Thuya'' and ''Aung San Thuriya'' Medal, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantr ...
, a recipient of
Aung San Thuriya This article considers the religious, military and civil orders, decorations and medals of Union of Myanmar. Religious honorary orders Before and after Myanmar's independence, governments presented two religious orders, Abhidhaja Maha Rathta ...
medal, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry and bravery. * *
Henry Van Thio Henry Van Thio (; born 9 August 1959) is a Burmese politician who is the Second Vice President of Myanmar since 30 March 2016. He previously served as a member of Amyotha Hluttaw (House of Nationalities). In the 2015 election, he contested and ...
, politician and vice-president of Burma. * Cheery Zahau is a Chin human rights activist, women's right activist, feminist, politician, writer, development and peace leader. She is the founder and leader of "Women's League of Chinland" and winner of
UNDP The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)french: Programme des Nations unies pour le développement, PNUD is a United Nations agency tasked with helping countries eliminate poverty and achieve sustainable economic growth and human dev ...
's
N-Peace Awards N-Peace, or ‘Engage for Equality, Access, Community and Empowerment’ is a UNDP flagship initiative founded in 2010 to commemorate a decade of UNSCR 1325 implementation via the Women, Peace and Security (WPS) agenda. Currently unique to the ...
2017. *
Thet Mon Myint Thet Mon Myint ( my, သက်မွန်မြင့်; born Zung Cer Mawi; on 23 July 1982) is a two-time Myanmar Academy Award winning actress and model. She is the Myanmar's fourth highest-paid actress. In 2019, she was listed on The Mya ...
is Chin actress, one of the legendary actresses in the industry. She won two Myanmar Academy awards for best actress. * Benjamin Sum, singer and ''Myanmar Idol'' season 4 runners up * Esther Dawt Chin Sung, singer and winner of ''Myanmar Idol'' season 4


See also

*
Chin Student Association The Chin Students' Association (CSA) is the student body of the Zomi people living in the country of India. It is one of the main bodies of the TCU or Tedim Chin Union. There is also another body known as the CYA, or Chin Youth Association. It ...


References


External links


Chin Cultural ProfileChin Bible

Zomi Re-unification OrganisationiChin National FrontEnglish - Zomi/Chin Online dictionaryHuman Rights Watch Report on Persecution of ChinsReport on Chin People Seeking Refuge in Mizoram
{{DEFAULTSORT:Chin People Ethnic groups in Myanmar Kuki tribes Headhunting