Zomi National Congress in Burma

The Zomi National Congress (ZNC) is one of the leading political parties in Burma. This party was registered in the year 1988. Until 1992, it was permitted to operate as a political organization. At that time the Burma military government abolished Zomi National Congress. It also banned the party from all other political movements. While heavily demoralized as an un-sanctioned party, Zomi National Congress still exists within the kingdom of Burma. I also exist as part of the global Zo Movement.

The chairman of the Zomi National Congress was Chin Sian Thang. He was elected as a Member of Parliament and it happened during Burma’s ill-fated 1990 elections. He has worked attentively for many years. During 1960s, Chin Sian Thang also served as a leader of the Chin Ethnic Student Union. At that time he was a student at Rangoon University. In 1972 and 1999 he was imprisoned and in each time he served two years. He suffered brutal interrogations at that tenure that leads permanent health problems to Chin Sian Thang.

Chin Sian Thang also serves as a member of the Committee Representing People’s Parliament. This was a group with support from 251 candidates. All of then were elected in 1990. Chin Sian Thang heavily promotes the CRPP. He can be remembered as the most outspoken elected leader in Burma.

In 1953 a Committee was formed in Burma. The main motto was to remove the existing confusion over names so that a common racial nomenclature can be done. After deep research, the Committee realized that all of them were descendants of Zo. They had always called themselves as Zo, Yaw, Yo, Jo, Shou, etc. This is the reason why they unanimously suggested the term ‘Zomi’ as their racial nomenclature. The name was adopted in a common meeting at Saikah village at Thantlang.