NUG’s Terrorist Designation Blunder
By Zo Muan Taang | Political Analyst, ZomiPress.com
December 22, 2025
In a serious and avoidable error with far-reaching political consequences, the National Unity Government (NUG) has included Pu Gin Kam Lian, President of the Zomi Congress for Democracy (ZCD), on its publicly released list of individuals designated as “terrorists.”
The NUG has wrongly designated Pu Gin Kam Lian, President of the ZCD, a democracy and decades long federal nonviolence advocate and ally of the NLD and Daw Aung San Suu Kyi.
Based on verifiable public records and well-documented political developments, this designation is factually incorrect. Its inclusion exposes troubling weaknesses in the NUG’s verification and intelligence processes and risks alienating one of the most consistent non-violent ethnic democratic movements in Myanmar’s long struggle against military rule.
This is not merely a disagreement of political opinion. It is a demonstrable error of fact.
The Undeniable Record: A Documented Act of Defiance, Not Collaboration
At the center of this misdesignation lies a clear historical record that is neither disputed nor ambiguous:
Pu Gin Kam Lian is not, and has never been, a member of the State Administration Council (SAC).
The 2023 Nomination and Refusal
In early 2023, the military junta formally nominated Pu Gin Kam Lian for a position within the SAC. In a decisive and principled act, he publicly rejected the appointment. This refusal constituted an explicit boycott of the illegal military regime and aligned squarely with the democratic resistance movement.
The Documented Consequence
Following his refusal, the junta appointed Dr. Muh Thang, Chairman of the Chin State USDP chapter, to the position instead. This sequence of events is a matter of public record and can be independently verified.
To now label a leader who explicitly rejected the junta as a “terrorist”—alongside individuals who actively collaborate with the regime—is not a political judgment. It is a factual misrepresentation that collapses the distinction between principled resistance and actual complicity.
Political Fallout: Credibility Erosion and Alliance Damage
This error carries consequences far beyond one name on a list.
1. Erosion of Moral Authority
The NUG’s legitimacy rests on its claim to uphold justice, due process, and democratic standards in contrast to the junta’s arbitrariness. Deploying a “terrorist” designation—one of the gravest political labels—without factual accuracy cheapens the term and weakens its moral force.
A mechanism intended to uphold justice instead risks appearing careless, politically reactive, or procedurally unsound.
2. Alienation of Ethnic Democratic Allies
The ZCD has long stood as a non-violent federal democratic force, committed to constitutional reform, ethnic equality, and political dialogue. Wrongly targeting its president undermines trust and sends a troubling signal to other ethnic movements: that their political histories and principled refusals may be ignored or mischaracterized.
At a time when unity among democratic and ethnic forces is essential, this designation risks deepening fractures rather than strengthening cooperation.
3. A Gift to Junta Propaganda
The military regime and its affiliated propaganda networks will undoubtedly exploit this error to portray the NUG as irrational, reckless, or driven by internal vendettas. Such narratives weaken the NUG’s standing domestically and complicate its international advocacy.
The ZCD’s Consistent Path: Non-Violent Federal Democracy
Context matters. Under the leadership of the late Pu Chin Sian Thang, and now Pu Gin Kam Lian, the Zomi Congress for Democracy has maintained a consistent political trajectory:
- Commitment to non-violent political engagement
- Advocacy for federal democracy and ethnic equality
- Moral and political alignment with democratic resistance forces, including the NLD-led movement
The ZCD’s current boycott of the SAC-orchestrated 2025 electoral process is not a departure from this path, but its continuation. The NUG’s designation, therefore, reflects not only a factual error but a profound misreading of an ally’s long-standing political position.
A Necessary Correction for the Sake of Unity
The inclusion of ZCD President Pu Gin Kam Lian on the NUG’s terrorist list constitutes a self-inflicted wound—one that damages credibility, undermines unity, and distracts from the shared goal of dismantling military dictatorship.
For the sake of democratic integrity and ethnic cooperation, the NUG must take the following steps:
- Publicly acknowledge and correct this specific factual error.
- Review and reform the verification procedures that allowed it to occur.
- Reaffirm a commitment to precision, fairness, and due process in all official designations.
A government-in-exile cannot afford to be careless with the truth. The struggle against tyranny is sustained not only by courage, but by accuracy, restraint, and moral clarity. The NUG now faces a clear choice: correct this mistake, or allow it to stand as a lasting stain on its credibility and a wedge among the forces resisting military rule.
Zo Muan Taang is a political analyst specializing in ethnic politics, federalism, and democratic movements in Myanmar. This analysis is based on publicly verifiable records of government nominations, refusals, and political declarations.
