"ZORO is concerned that the land which was under the administration of the Chin-Lushai-Kukis, was permanently divided when the British granted independence to India, Pakistan and Burma. This led to the division of the indigenous tribes into further minority groups with a resulting diasporic dispersion of these tribes," said Mr. Thangmawia, president of ZORO said at press conference held in Aizawl, capital of Mizoram on July 9.

The generic word 'ZO' means Chin-Kuki-Mizo tribes living in India, Myanmar and Bangladesh in a total area of around 91,000 square miles.

Mr. Thangmawia had also addressed the issues of the re-unification of Chin-Kuki-Mizo, Indo-Bangla-Myanmar border fencing and natural resource exploration scheme in the areas of the so called Zo tribes at the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues held from May 14 to 25 in New York.

The governments of Mizoram, Manipur and other states of northeast India, however, are concerned over easy infiltration of ethnic rebel groups, the flow of drugs, arms smuggling and other criminal activities due to the porous border.

O Ibobi Singh, Chief Minister of Manipur state said on June 14 that the Ministry of External Affairs of India has sanctioned funds to expedite the work of fencing 10 kilometres of the 1,643-kiolmetre Indo-Myanmar border.

The United Nations Drug Control Programme (UNDCP) and International Narcotic Control Board (INCB) is said to have also warned Northeast India to be vigilant about the poor state of border security facilities as the region could become a major transit point for illicit drugs.

India is trying to construct the fence across 4,096-kilomtere Indo-Bangladesh border in order to prevent infiltration and cross-border movement of rebels active in Indian territory.

Nevertheless, ZORO feels the international boundary that divided the so called Zo tribes as artificial and had called on the UN forum to address the issue on the reunification of Chin-kuki-Mizo from different regions.  

ZORO also feels that Zo tribes are being taken advantage of by more powerful societies.

ZORO was formed in 1988 in Champhai district in Mizoram state on the Indo-Myanmar border with the purpose to reunify Chin-Kuki-Mizo people under one administration head in conformity with the resolution of Chin-Lushai conference held at Fort Willian in Culcatta on January 29, 1892. – KNG.