By Zomi Press — Legal & Political Analysis Desk
December 30, 2025
The National Unity Government (NUG) has formally withdrawn its terrorist designation against Pu Gin Kam Lian, President of the Zomi Congress for Democracy (ZCD).¹ While this correction was necessary, it remains fundamentally incomplete and internally contradictory.
Despite rescinding the designation, the NUG’s own reversal notice continues to frame Pu Gin Kam Lian as having been “included” or associated with the State Administration Council (SAC).² This framing perpetuates the very allegation the correction was meant to resolve and amounts to a second, continued mischaracterization of an elected democratic leader.
What the NUG Officially Admitted
In its Counter-Terrorism Central Committee Order No. (7/2025), published on December 29, 2025, the NUG confirmed that although Pu Gin Kam Lian’s name had been proposed in connection with the SAC formed after the February 2021 coup, he did not accept the offer, never entered office, and never carried out any duties, and that the terrorist designation was therefore withdrawn.³
This admission was reiterated in a subsequent official clarification published the same day.⁴ Together, these publications establish four decisive facts:
- Pu Gin Kam Lian did not accept the SAC nomination.
- He never entered office.
- He never exercised authority or performed duties, and
- The designation was withdrawn as erroneous.
Under settled principles of public law and administration, nomination without acceptance has no legal or political effect. Office-holding requires consent and assumption of duties. Neither occurred here.
The Core Problem: A Second Accusation Embedded in the Reversal
Despite acknowledging non-acceptance and non-service, the NUG’s language continues to imply that Pu Gin Kam Lian was, in some sense, part of the SAC. This is not a semantic oversight. It is a substantive misrepresentation.
To suggest “inclusion” or “association” after confirming refusal and non-service reintroduces the accusation by implication. In legal and democratic practice, corrections must extinguish false allegations, not restate them in softened form.
Why This Matters
Pu Gin Kam Lian is not a private individual. He is an elected Member of Parliament (MP-elect during the NLD governance period) and a long-standing democratic ally. Continued mischaracterization carries serious consequences:
- Legal risk: False associations may affect future proceedings or vetting.
- Political harm: Trust among ethnic democratic partners is undermined.
- Historical distortion: The public record is contaminated with ambiguity.
- Institutional credibility: Confidence in disciplined governance erodes.
Public Accountability and the Role of Scrutiny
The reversal followed public condemnation and fact-based scrutiny by the Zomi National Party (ZNP) and investigative reporting by Zomi Press, which relied on publicly verifiable records.⁵⁻⁷
What Accountability Requires Now
If the NUG intends to act as a public, reputable democratic institution, it must:
- Cease all language—explicit or implied—associating Pu Gin Kam Lian with the SAC;
- Issue a clear clarifying statement affirming he was never an SAC member;
- Formally apologize, directly and personally, for the wrongful designation and continued mischaracterization; and
- Correct all official records where misleading phrasing remains.
The Zomi Community recognizes the withdrawal as necessary. But true accountability requires clarity, apology, and the permanent abandonment of a false narrative. Pu Gin Kam Lian was never a member of the SAC. Any suggestion to the contrary—especially within a document of correction—undermines both individual dignity and institutional credibility.
FOOTNOTES
- National Unity Government (NUG), “Declaration of Terrorist Groups and Individuals,” Facebook post, December 21, 2025, https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1AL8gsr85a/.
- National Unity Government (NUG), language contained within Counter-Terrorism Central Committee Order No. (7/2025), December 29, 2025.
- National Unity Government (NUG), “Counter-Terrorism Central Committee Order No. (7/2025): Withdrawal of Terrorist Designation,” Facebook post, December 29, 2025, https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1BVc4NXT5s.
- National Unity Government (NUG), “Clarification on Withdrawal of Terrorist Designation and Non-Acceptance of SAC Appointment,” Facebook post, December 29, 2025, https://www.facebook.com/share/p/17NN4iieqG.
- Zomi Press, “NUG’s Reckless Designation Undermines Its Own Credibility,” December 22, 2025, https://zomipress.com/nugs-reckless-designation-undermines-its-own-credibility.
- Zomi National Party (ZNP), “Statement in Response to NUG Terrorist Designation Announcement,” Facebook post, December 22, 2025, https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1FRDCCsadQ.
- Zomi Press editorial and fact-checking analysis, December 2025.
Published by: Zomi Press
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Zomi Press will continue to report with legal rigor, factual precision, and independence—because accountability is not optional; it is foundational.