{"id":61079,"date":"2024-10-31T11:42:00","date_gmt":"2024-10-31T06:12:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/idronline.org\/?post_type=article&#038;p=61079"},"modified":"2025-12-10T09:26:36","modified_gmt":"2025-12-10T03:56:36","slug":"why-are-the-mizo-people-helping-the-chin-refugees-in-their-state","status":"publish","type":"article","link":"https:\/\/idronline.org\/kn-in\/article\/rights\/why-are-the-mizo-people-helping-the-chin-refugees-in-their-state\/","title":{"rendered":"Why are the Mizo people helping the Chin refugees in their state?"},"content":{"rendered":"<?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe title=\"Why are the Mizo people helping the Chin refugees in their state?\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/ROBXQ6YWG7M?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure><p><\/p><p>The <a href=\"https:\/\/minorityrights.org\/communities\/chin\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Chin community<\/a> in Myanmar has faced decades of persecution, and the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.aljazeera.com\/news\/2023\/8\/29\/myanmars-striking-civil-servants-displaced-forgotten-but-holding-on\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">ongoing civil war<\/a> has worsened its situation. In 2021, the military staged a coup to seize power from the elected government and jailed the majority of the country&rsquo;s civilian leadership. Since then, thousands of people have been killed, and <a href=\"https:\/\/news.un.org\/en\/story\/2023\/03\/1134682\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">millions more are displaced<\/a>.<\/p><p>While it is often seen as an ethnic conflict, the Chins have faced religious persecution as well. The predominant religion in Myanmar is Buddhism; however, the Chins mostly practise Christianity. The military has made <a href=\"https:\/\/www.aljazeera.com\/news\/2021\/10\/14\/a-living-hell-churches-suffer-in-myanmar-military-attacks\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">forced assimilation attempts<\/a>, which has resulted in coercive conversions, churches being shut down, the arrests of pastors, and several other human rights violations.<\/p><p>Given Mizoram&rsquo;s proximity to Myanmar, the Indian state has become the most favoured destination for Chin refugees. Since March 2021, more than 30,000 Chin people have sought refuge in the state. An alliance of local nonprofits, including organisations such as the <a href=\"https:\/\/mizoram.nic.in\/more\/yma.htm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Young Mizo Association (YMA)<\/a>, has been helping the refugees access everyday resources such as water, sanitation, and electricity.<\/p><div class=\"idron-article-in-content\" style=\"margin-bottom: 15px;\" id=\"idron-1414573876\"><a href=\"https:\/\/idronline.org\/what-is-idr-answers\/\" target=\"_blank\" aria-label=\"What is IDR Answers Page Banner\"><img src=\"https:\/\/idronline.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/What-is-IDR-Answers-Page-Banner-1.png\" alt=\"What is IDR Answers Page Banner\"  srcset=\"https:\/\/idronline.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/What-is-IDR-Answers-Page-Banner-1.png 1250w, https:\/\/idronline.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/What-is-IDR-Answers-Page-Banner-1-300x60.png 300w, https:\/\/idronline.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/What-is-IDR-Answers-Page-Banner-1-1024x205.png 1024w, https:\/\/idronline.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/What-is-IDR-Answers-Page-Banner-1-150x30.png 150w, https:\/\/idronline.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/What-is-IDR-Answers-Page-Banner-1-768x154.png 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1250px) 100vw, 1250px\" width=\"1250\" height=\"250\"   \/><\/a><\/div><p>The Mizo society&rsquo;s acceptance of the Chins is commendable, especially because they aren&rsquo;t bound by any laws to do so. India is not <a href=\"https:\/\/www.unhcr.org\/sites\/default\/files\/legacy-pdf\/4cd96e919.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">a signatory<\/a> to the 1951 United Nations Refugee Convention, which defines the rights of asylum seekers and the responsibilities of host nations. Then what drives the camaraderie and love that Mizo society feels for the Chin people, who were strangers to them even a few years ago?<\/p><p>To understand this, we visited a Chin refugee camp near Aizawl, the capital of Mizoram. In this video, Reverend Malasawmi, a Chin pastor; Chinsankim, the wife of a former Myanmar police officer; and Davide Malsawmtluanga, secretary at YMA, narrate the challenges that the Chin people face as refugees and also highlight the humanitarian efforts of Mizo civil society. &nbsp;<\/p><p>&mdash;<\/p><h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-know-more\">Know more<\/h3><ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Read <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hrw.org\/report\/2009\/01\/28\/we-are-forgotten-people\/chin-people-burma-unsafe-burma-unprotected-india\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">this article<\/a> to understand the history of the Chin people and the persecution they face in Myanmar.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Learn <a href=\"https:\/\/idronline.org\/ground-up-stories\/a-bru-handicrafts-maker-laments-the-loss-of-traditions-in-mizoram\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">why<\/a> a handicrafts maker from the Bru community is worried about the loss of traditions.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div class=\"idron-troublemakers-placement\" style=\"margin-bottom: 20px;\" id=\"idron-3748542841\"><a href=\"https:\/\/idronline.org\/donate\/\" target=\"_blank\" aria-label=\"donate banner\"><img src=\"https:\/\/idronline.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/Donate-banner-1.jpg\" alt=\"donate banner\"  srcset=\"https:\/\/idronline.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/Donate-banner-1.jpg 1250w, https:\/\/idronline.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/Donate-banner-1-300x60.jpg 300w, https:\/\/idronline.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/Donate-banner-1-1024x205.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/idronline.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/Donate-banner-1-150x30.jpg 150w, https:\/\/idronline.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/Donate-banner-1-768x154.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1250px) 100vw, 1250px\" width=\"1250\" height=\"250\"   \/><\/a><\/div>","protected":false},"author":29,"featured_media":61090,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","template":"","categories":[20,2892,2652],"tags":[3666,3682,3713],"series":[],"meta-filter":[],"schema-filter":[743],"no-display":[],"class_list":["post-61079","article","type-article","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-diversity-inclusion","category-ne-media-fellowship","category-rights","tag-marginalised-communities","tag-northeast-india","tag-stigma","contributor-rodingliana","states-mizoram","schema-filter-article"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v24.3 (Yoast SEO v27.5) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Why are the Mizo people helping the Chin refugees in their state? | IDR<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Communities and civil society organisations in Mizoram are facilitating the rehabilitation of Chin refugees who escaped persecution in Myanmar.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/idronline.org\/article\/rights\/why-are-the-mizo-people-helping-the-chin-refugees-in-their-state\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"kn_IN\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Why are the Mizo people helping the Chin refugees in their state?\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Communities and civil society organisations in Mizoram are facilitating the rehabilitation of Chin refugees who escaped persecution in Myanmar.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/idronline.org\/article\/rights\/why-are-the-mizo-people-helping-the-chin-refugees-in-their-state\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"India Development Review\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2025-12-10T03:56:36+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/idronline.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/cchin-refugee-camp-.webp\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1024\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"680\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/webp\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Why are the Mizo people helping the Chin refugees in their state? 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