Guwahati: Mizoram MP K. Vanlalvena visited the Chinland Council’s camp and offices, which controls areas in north-west Myanmar close to the Indian border, last week.
During his visit, he invited them to join India, citing Myanmar’s lack of government and the shared tribal connection.
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Mr. Vanlalvena, a Rajya Sabha MP representing the Mizo National Front (MNF), told an agency that he had notified Mizoram Governor V.K. Singh and the Assam Rifles before his journey on foot to Myanmar from Mizoram.
He engaged with council members to “foster friendship and brotherhood” due to the group’s control over border areas.
This came after the absence of a government in Myanmar, which allowed the group to manage the region for the past six months.
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After the February 2021 Myanmar coup, ethnic insurgent groups took control of regions once held by the ruling junta.
Over 40,000 refugees from Myanmar’s Chin-Kuki-Zo ethnic group sought shelter in Mizoram, receiving aid from the MNF government.
Mr. Vanlalvena visited the headquarters of the Chinland Council and Camp Victoria of the Chin National Front Army.
He stated the importance of maintaining good relations with them, as they control areas along the Mizoram-Myanmar border.
When asked whether he sought government approval for his visit, the MP clarified, “It was a private program. Two weeks ago, I informed the Governor and the Assam Rifles. When I return to Delhi, I will meet the Home Minister and the External Affairs Minister to brief them about the meeting,” he added, speaking by phone from Aizawl.
India and Myanmar share a 1,643 km border that runs through the states of Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Manipur, and Mizoram.
The unfenced border allows free movement within 10 km through designated entry points, under the Free Movement Regime (FMR).
In December, the Ministry of Home Affairs introduced measures to regulate border movement, reducing the previous 16 km limit.
“People on the Myanmar side belong to the Mizo tribe. We are one and the same tribe; sometimes they need us, and sometimes we need them. As brothers, I want to know if they have any issues that we can help solve, with the Indian government’s approval. I invited them to join India, as the Myanmar government has nearly collapsed and the military has withdrawn. They can join the Indian Union if they wish,” the MP concluded.