Zomi Revolutionary Army | |
---|---|
Leaders | Thanglianpau Guite |
Dates of operation | 1997 | –present
Headquarters | Churachandpur, Manipur, India |
Ideology | Zomi Nationalism |
Allies | State Allies: Non-state allies: |
Opponents | Non-state opponents: |
Battles and wars | Internal conflict in Myanmar Insurgency in Northeast India |
The Zomi Revolutionary Army (ZRA) is an armed Zomi nationalist militant group formed in 1997, following an increase in ethnic tensions between the Kuki people (i.e. the Thadou) and the Paites tribe in Churachandpur district of Manipur, India. Its parent organisation, the Zomi Re-unification Organisation, was founded in April 1993. [8]
The Zo identity for the Kuki-Chin language speaking people spread across Northeast India and Myanmar's Chin State began to take shape soon after World War II. The people of the then Lushai Hills district in India (present-day Mizoram) rallied behind a "Mizo" ("Zo people") identity in 1946. [9] In 1953, the Baptist Associations of Tedim, Falam and Hakha in Myanmar's Chin State adopted Zomi ("Zo people") as their "national" name (subsuming the various tribal identities). [10] In India's Manipur state, T. Gougin formed a "United Zomi Organisation" in 1961 and "Zomi National Congress" in 1972. [11] The final step in these Zomi nationalist movements was taken in April 1993, when a Zomi Re-unification Organisation (ZRO) was formed at Phapian in Kachin State of Myanmar, under the leadership of Tedim Chins and Paites. It had the professed objective of unifying all the Kuki-Zo people divided across national borders (India, Myanmar and Bangladesh) under a united "Zomi" identity. [12]
With these antecedents, seven Kuki-Zo tribes of Churachandpur district in Manipur, that had previously declined to accept a Kuki identity, agreed to come under the banner of Zomi Re-unification Organsiation in 1995. The seven tribes were Hmar, Zou, Vaiphei, Gangte, Simte, Sukte (Tedim Chins) and Paite, with the Paites leading the collection. [13] [14] Its formation day is said to be observed on 20 February every year as Zomi Nam Ni. [13] [lower-alpha 1] By 1997, the organisation also formed an underground military wing called Zomi Revolutionary Army (ZRA, also referred to as "Zomi Re-unification Army") [17] ostensibly to defend the tribes under its umbrella from rival tribes, mainly the Thadou Kukis. [13]
At the time of the formation of ZRA, the tensions between the Kukis (mainly Thadou-Kukis) and the tribes belonging to the Zomi grouping were on the rise. The Kuki–Naga conflict caused many Thadou-Kukis to migrate to the Churachandpur district, which was previously dominated by Paites, and also caused the armed group Kuki National Front (KNF) to increase its demands for contributions. ZRO and ZRA objected to KNF's demands from the "Zomi" community, and allegedly berated KNF for picking a conflict with the Naga militant group NSCN-IM. The KNF in turn suspected ZRA of teaming up with NSCN-IM. [15] [17] [18] A year-long conflict between the Kukis and Zomis erupted in June 1997, in which the ZRA is said to have taken a beating due to having been inadequately armed. According to security specialist E. N. Rammohan, the Paite fighters fled to Myanmar, where they teamed up with NSCN-IM to regroup and arm themselves. [17] [18]
As a result of the Kuki–Paite conflict, the Gangte and Hmar tribes left the Zomi umbrella. [19] ZRA is said to have supported itself through extortion and occasional kidnapping in the Churachandpur district. [8] [20] Following the seminal clashes, both KNF and ZRA faced splits and defections, and saw the formation of new groups rivalling themselves. In 1997, Zou tribes formed Zou Defence Volunteers (ZDV) in Chandel district. In 2005, the Vaipheis defected and formed their own armed group called United Socialist Revolutionary Army (USRA) and the Hmars formed Hmar National Army (HNA). A rival Paite group called Zomi Revolutionary Front (ZRF) was also formed. These rival groups eventually joined the fold of a Kuki-led umbrella group Kuki National Organisation (KNO). [21] The Paite-led groups likewise formed an umbrella group called United People's Front (UPF). All the groups resorted to extortion, drug trade, kidnapping for ransom, forced recruitment of young children as cadres, denial of voting rights to unarmed sections of the community etc. [22]
In August 2005, both KNO and UPF signed a Suspension of Operations (SoO) agreement with the Indian security forces. In 2008, this was revised to a tripartite agreement joint with the Union Home Minsitry and the Government of Manipur. The militant groups agreed to abjure the path of violence, and refrain from unlawful activities such as killing, kidnapping, extortions, intimidations, carrying of arms in public, and the imposition of 'taxes' and 'fines'. The government agreed not to launch offensive operations against the armed groups. [23] The armed groups provided lists of their cadres to the security forces, and agreed to stay in designated camps. Identity cards were issued to the cadres, and arms were deposited under a double locking system. [24]
In 2010, the Union home minister P. Chidambaram visited the ZRA camp in Muvanlai and spent 45 minutes. He promised to initiate talks on the Zomi demand for an autonomous hill state within Manipur. The demand has since evolved into an autonomous territorial council similar to the Bodoland Territorial Council. [25] [26] [27]
Even though ZRO was originally founded in the Kachin State of Myanmar, it does not appear that it had much following in Myanmar. A US State Department cable from c. 2010 stated that ZRA had 200 fighers from mostly Paites (presumably from Churachandpur district). Five fighters from Chin National Army (CNA) were said to have joined it after CNA became defunct. [20]
By around 2020, reports started appearing referring to an "Eastern Command" (EC) of ZRA in Myanmar's Chin State. Reports said that it was attacking Chinland Defence Force, having allied with the Burmese military junta. [28] [29] [30] In January 2022, ZRA-EC is said to have clashed with Chin National Front and Chin National Army (CNF/CNA) resistance forces, and lost four fighters. [30] People's Liberation Army of Manipur (PLA) is also said to be using similar strategies in fighting the Myanmarese resistance forces. [31] Even though ZRA-EC issued a public statement claiming to be supporting the resistance forces, the attacks on them continued. [32] In May 2024, the reports became more substantial, saying ZRA-EC was active in Tonzang and Tedim Townships in Chin State, and Kalay and Tamu Townships in Sagaing Region and that it was fighting the resistance forces in conjunction with the Burmese military. [33] [34]
The founding president of ZRO in 1993 is mentioned as Khaijasong Guite (K. Guite) from the Karbi Anglong district in Assam. [11] [35] Later Thanglianpau Guite (Thang Lian Pau, referred to as "TLP") is mentioned as its president. [36] [37] According to a US State Department cable, Thanglianpau was a general secretary of the Zomi National Congress in the Chin State, and was elected to the Parliament of Myanmar in 1990. Later he was expelled from the party and migrated to India. The cable attributes the formation of both ZRO and ZRA to Thanglianpau. [20]
The ZRA mainly conducts operations in the majority areas of Paite, Simte, Vaiphei, Zou, Mizo, Chin, Gangte, Thadou and other tribes under the Zo umbrella, in the Churachandpur and other districts in Manipur. A particular area of activitity is the Singngat subdivision of Churachandpur near the Myanmar border.Their operational areas includes bordering regions of Manipur and Mizoram. [8] It is also believed to operate in Chin State of Myanmar.
The ZRA allegedly funds itself through the collection of "protection fees" from locals who live in their areas of operations. In exchange for this fee, the ZRA claims they protect locals from being shot, kidnapped, or robbed by rival groups. [8] In June 2004, according to local media reports, the ZRA accused the Mizo National Front (MNF) administration in Mizoram of only partially paying ZRA cadres for campaigning on behalf of MNF candidates in Champhai. A prominent opposition leader in Mizoram, Lal Thanhawla, claimed that on 12 June 2004, the MNF owed the ZRA payment for "services rendered", and that, because the MNF had failed to pay, the ZRA had begun collecting fees from residents of Mizoram. [8] [38]
The ZRA's maintains close alliances with the Kanglei Yawol Kanna Lup (KYKL) and the National Socialist Council of Nagaland-Isak Muivah (NSCN-IM). The group also has a memorandum of understanding with the Kuki Liberation Organization (KLO) that promises "full cooperation in all spheres, with the objective of strengthening the blood ties among the Kuki-Chin-Mizo/Zomi peoples". [8] The ZRA was once in conflict with the Hmar People's Convention-Democracy (HPC-D), but the two groups reached an agreement to "work closely in the spirit of mutual understanding and cooperation for the welfare of the people and for achieving their shared objectives". [38]
In 2019, ZRO was reported to be part of United People's Front, an umbrella group of six or seven ethnic organisations with armed wings which were formed in the 1990s. [39]
On 9 August 2005, the ZRA released a statement, saying that they had reached a ceasefire agreement with the Indian government, which was to last for six months starting from 1 August. The ZRA also said that they had "viewed the steps taken by the Indian government in this regard as a positive approach towards the better understanding of our unique history, and the realisation of the need for a permanent solution to the long standing aspirations of the Zomi people". In spite of this agreement, the Indian security forces allegedly conducted operations against ZRA during the ceasefire. [8]
Although ZRA Eastern Command (ZRA-EC) initially claimed to not be cooperating with the military junta, the State Administration Council, news began to surface about ZRA's cooperation with Myanmar military. [40] [41] [42] ZRA-EC was said to be operating under the proxy command of the junta’s Regional Tactical Command based in nearby Kalay in Sagaing Region and it continually attacked Chin resistance forces and aided Myanmar military in its battles against the resistance. [41] [42] [4] ZRA-EC was also accused to be involved in opium cultivation with the Myanmar military junta's assistance in Tonzang Township, Chin state, as it was reported in a UNODC survey in 2022 that poppy cultivation, which did not exist in Chin state prior to the military coup in February 2021, suddenly saw a rise in Chin state, concentrating in ZRA-controlled areas. [2] [41]
In late August and early September 2023, the Chinland Defense Force claimed that two of their soldiers were killed after the ZRA-EC attacked bases in Tonzang Township. [42] During the first raid, the CDF was greatly outnumbered, and military equipment was seized. [42] Another camp was raided the following week, ZRA killing one CDF fighter, and confiscating one rifle. By September 2023, the ZRA raided camps of the Chin resistance forces at least three times. [42] PDF Zoland, another Chin resistance group, also accused ZRA-EC of killing one of their leaders in December 2021. [43]
In May 2024, battles again broke out in Tonzang township between Chin resistance forces consisting of CNA and CDFs against ZRA-EC and its allies, the Myanmar military. [3] Tonzang residents said that ZRA-EC and the Myanmar military blockaded the town, preventing any evacuations. [3] On 20 May 2024, Chin resistance forces captured Tonzang from ZRA-EC and Myanmar military. [5] During the battle, a ZRA combatant and two junta policemen were captured alive by the Chin resistance. [5]
The Paite people are an ethnic group in Northeast India, mainly living in Manipur and Mizoram. The Paites are recognized as a scheduled tribe in these two states. They are part of the Kuki-Zo people, but prefer to use the Zomi identity. "Guite" is a major clan of the Paite people.
The Kuki people are an ethnic group in the Northeastern Indian states of Manipur, Nagaland, Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura and Mizoram, as well as the neighbouring countries of Bangladesh and Myanmar. The Kukis form one of the largest hill tribe communities in Northeast India, along with the adjoining regions of Bangladesh and Myanmar. In Northeast India, they are present in all states except Arunachal Pradesh. The Chin people of Myanmar and the Mizo people of Mizoram are kindred tribes of the Kukis. Collectively, they are termed the Zo people.
The Zou people Is are an ethnic group, that is an indigenous community living along the frontier of India and Burma, they are a sub-group of the Kuki people/Zo people. In India, they live with and are similar in language and habits to the Thadou people and Paite and the Simte peoples. In Burma, the Zou are counted among the Chin people. They are a hill people, "Zou" may plainly means "Hills" denoting the Zous are "people of the hills" or "of the hills", and "Zou" has also a different meaning in Zou language that is "complete" or another word for it is "finish". But, the Zou people believed that they incepted the name 'Zou' from their forefather 'Zou' or 'Zo', believed to be the progenitor of the broad Chin-Kuki-Mizo people.
Zo is a Northern Kuki-Chin-Mizo language originating in western Burma and spoken also in Mizoram and Manipur in northeastern India.
Hiangtam or Hengtam is a village in the Churachandpur district of Manipur, India. It is located in the southern part of the district in the Singngat Subdivision. It was the site of fierce resistance during the Kuki Rebellion of 1917–1919 fought by the Zou people.
Guite is the progenitor clan of Zomi people, also called Chin in Myanmar, Mizo, or Paite, or even Kuki in India. According to Zam, Nigui Guite is the elder brother of the ancestral fathers of the Thadou people, namely Thangpi, Sattawng, and Neirawng. This genealogy was recently inscribed on the tribal memorial stone at Bungmual, Lamka in the presence of each family-head of the three major clans, Doungel, Kipgen, and Haokip, on August 7, 2011. Some historians, like Shakespeare, assumed Lamlei was the Nigui Guite himself but the Guites themselves recounted Tuahciang, the father of Lamlei, as the son of Nigui Guite instead, in their social-religious rites. Regarding Guite as the born son of Songthu and his sister, Nemnep, it was the practice of ancient royalty to issue royal heir and also to keep their bloodline pure instead. Depending on local pronunciation, the clan was also called by different names such as Nguite or Vuite, Gwite, Nwite, Paihte by the Lushei. In accord with the claim of their solar origin, the Guite clan has been called nampi, meaning noble or major or even dominant people, of the region in local dialect in the past.
Tedim Township is in Tedim District, Chin State of Myanmar (Burma). The administrative centre for the township is the town of Tedim. Tedim Township is the most populous township in Chin State, with a population of 87,623.
The Sukte are one of the clans of Tedim Chins that mainly inhabit the Tedim district in Myanmar, with small numbers in India, in Manipur, Meghalaya and Assam states. They are recognized as a Scheduled Tribe in Manipur. From 1995, they have been part of the Zomi Re-unification Organisation in Manipur.
The Tedim people, also called Tedim Chins and Tiddim (Hai-Dim) people, are a Zomi ethinic group, part of the Chin people, primarily inhabiting the Tedim Township in the Chin State of Myanmar. They speak the Tedim language, a northern Kuki-Chin language.
The Kuki-Chin-Mizo languages are a branch of the Sino-Tibetan language family spoken in northeastern India, western Myanmar and southeastern Bangladesh. Most notable Kuki-Chin-speaking ethnic groups are referred to collectively as the Zo people which includes: the Mizo of Mizoram, the Kuki of Manipur, Assam, Nagaland, Tripura and Bangladesh and the Chin of Chin State, Myanmar.
The Kuki–Paite Conflict, also called Kuki–Zomi Conflict, was an ethnic conflict during 1997–1998 between tribal communities in Churachandpur district in Manipur, India. The cause of the conflict may be regarded as the desire for leadership within the tribes, pitting one group that subscribed to the Kuki label against another group that subscribed to the Zomi label, the latter being led by the Paites. The conflict started in June 1997 and lasted for over year, during which 352 people died, thousands of homes were destroyed and over 13,000 people were displaced. The Government of India sent in the Indian Army to attempt to stop the violence, but peace was restored in September–October 1998 only with the initiative of the Church.
The Zo people is a term to denote the ethnolinguistically related speakers of the Kuki-Chin languages who primarily inhabit northeastern India, western Myanmar, and southeastern Bangladesh.
The Zo people are one of the main groups of the Zo (Kuki-Chin-Mizo) tribes. They live in mostly the India–Myanmar border, as well as in Bangladesh. The Zomi encompasses the various tribes like Paite and Tedim, and the Zomi tribe that is called Chin is the Tiddim/Tedim. They call themselves Zomi and they speak their own language. The Zomi language is basically the language of the Tedim/Tiddim and is related to the Paite language.
The Neihsial is an ethnic group found in northeastern India and parts of Myanmar. Members of this group are largely concentrated in the Churachandpur, Senapati, Chandel District and Tamenglong district of the Indian state of Manipur. There is also a sizable population in the neighboring Chin State of Myanmar.
The Insurgency in Manipur is an ongoing armed conflict between India and a number of separatist rebel groups, taking place in the state of Manipur. The Insurgency in Manipur is part of the wider Insurgency in Northeast India; it displays elements of a national liberation war as well as an ethnic conflict.
The Zomi Congress for Democracy, formerly Zomi National Congress, is a political party in Myanmar. Originally formed in Manipur, India, most of its current support comes from Chin State, where the party was originally headquartered. The party is most popular in the Tonzang, Tedim, and Kalay Townships where their headquarters and strongholds are. The party has 15,000 members in Chin State.
The Kuki National Army (KNA) is a Kuki insurgent group active in Myanmar,but not functioning properly in Northeast India. It is the armed wing of the Kuki National Organisation.
Northern Kuki-Chin is a branch of Kuki-Chin languages. It is called Northeastern Kuki-Chin by Peterson (2017) to distinguish it from the Northwestern Kuki-Chin languages. VanBik (2009:31) also calls the branch Northern Chin or Zo.
The Kuki National Organization (KNO) is a political organization established in 1988, with the aim of representing the interests of the Kuki people in northeast India and northwest Myanmar (Burma). The organization operates alongside its principle armed wing, the Kuki National Army (KNA), and has been active in advocating for the rights and aspirations of the Kuki community.
Ukha Loikhai is a village in the Churachandpur district of Manipur, India. It is on the western slopes of the Thangjing Hill and has ongoing claims to the top of the hill itself. In the 2011 census, Ukha Loikhai had a population of 418 people. Ukha was one of the leading villages in the Kuki Rebellion of 1917–1919.