Mizoram stands in solidarity with kin in conflicts in Manipur, Myanmar

economictimes.indiatimes.com:

Manipur’s Jiribam district. Protesters claim these men were village guards, unfairly labelled as militants by the police.
“We stand in solidarity with the victims of the Zo community across Manipur, Myanmar and Bangladesh,” says Roneihpuii, a familiar face in the crowd who represented Mizoram at an international beauty pageant in Jaipur only two months ago. “Chins, Kukis and Bawms are our siblings—oppressed, tortured, burnt and killed. Borders may divide us, but our hearts remain united,” she tells ET. While Kukis mostly reside in Manipur, Chins and Bawms are from Myanmar and Bangladesh, respectively.

The Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), which spearheaded the operation in Jiribam, maintained that all 10 men were militants, pointing to the recovery of weapons such as AK rifles, INSAS and SLRs as proof. The Manipur Police airlifted the bodies from Silchar Medical College to Churachandpur, bypassing demands from Kuki civil society groups to transport them by road through Mizoram. Authorities feared that a road procession could stir emotions among the Mizo population.

HEAVY SOLIDARITY

Caught between the conflict zones of Manipur and Myanmar, Mizoram stands at a crossroads. The looming question is how far can the Mizos extend their hand to their ethnic kin, the Kukis and the Chins, without