By Zo Muan Taang, Political Affairs Analyst, ZPCC
The Chin National Front’s (CNF) May 9 statement against the Zomi Political Coordination Committee (ZPCC) and ZRA-Eastern Command represents a calculated attempt to undermine legitimate Zomi political aspirations through factual distortions and divisive rhetoric.
Zogam Charter: Democratic Origins vs. CNF’s Misrepresentation
The CNF fundamentally mischaracterizes the Zogam Charter’s genesis. The Charter emerged from the 2019 Zomi International Conference in Kuala Lumpur, which brought together 73+ representatives from diverse Zomi organizations across multiple countries. This conference, presided over by John K. Ngaihte and endorsed by leaders including Pu Chin Sian Thang (ZCD President), established the democratic foundation for what became the Zogam Charter in September 2021.
Historical Timeline: Setting the Record Straight
The CNF falsely claims “ZRO/ZRA entered Myanmar under the name of ZPCC/ZRA-EC in 2013.” This timeline is fabricated. The ZPCC was established following Myanmar’s 2021 military coup as a democratic response to the governance vacuum, not in 2013 as alleged. This basic factual error undermines the credibility of CNF’s entire statement.
Divisive Tribal Narrative: Colonial Tactics Resurrected
The CNF’s portrayal of the Zomi movement as “Paite tribe dominance” deliberately employs divisive colonial tactics. The Zogam Charter explicitly defines “Zomi” inclusively as “the indigenous inhabitants of Zogam, who by virtue of birth and blood, are one as people.” This attempt to fracture Zomi unity serves only those who wish to see ethnic minorities remain divided and politically weakened.
Territorial Claims: Fiction vs. Reality
The CNF alleges ZPCC aims to establish a trans-national “Zogam State” across Myanmar, India, and Bangladesh. This directly contradicts the Zogam Charter, which clearly defines Zogam as “all contiguous Zomi-inhabited areas that are currently in Myanmar territory” and explicitly envisions a federated Zogam within a future Federal Democratic Union of Myanmar.
Baseless Allegations: Taxation
The CNF’s unsubstantiated claim that “ZRO/ZRA owns poppy fields” and “collects taxes from military council forces” is defamatory and lacks any supporting evidence. The ZPCC maintains a legitimate taxation system—as do all ethnic armed organizations including CNF itself—to fund essential services in areas where the military junta has withdrawn governance. The CNF’s hypocrisy in criticizing this standard practice reveals their territorial motivations.
Unity Against Military Rule
The timing of CNF’s divisive statement—amid ongoing struggles against Myanmar’s military junta—undermines the ethnic unity crucial to opposing dictatorship. Inter-ethnic conflicts serve only the military’s divide-and-rule strategy. The ZPCC and ZRA-EC remain committed to democratic federalism and call on the CNF to retract these baseless allegations and engage in constructive dialogue focused on our shared struggle.
The Zogam Charter stands as a democratic vision for the Zomi people. No amount of political maneuvering can erase this documented reality.
Zo Muan Taang specializes in ethnic politics and federalism in Myanmar’s borderlands.
The original allegation and wrongful accusation can be accessed at this location:
