For many people in the region, Zomi Re-unification Organisation (ZRO) President Thanglianpau is a familiar name but an unfamiliar face. As the ZRO and its armed wing, the Zomi Revolutionary Army (ZRA) gained in prominence over the years and emerged as one of the strongest militant outfits in the region, Thanglianpau, known as Sia Pau’ to close friends, who is an MP-elect from Tonjang Constituency in Burma (Myanmar being an ‘imposed name’ by the junta, the ZRO does not recognise it), prefers not to be in the limelight and spends most of his time in the hinterland, where his cadres are based. Thanglianpau has been involved in active politics since his student days in Burma.
After finishing his MSc in Zoology from Rangoon University in 1987, he was elected Member of the Parliament in 1990 on the Zomi National Congress (ZNC) ticket but power was never handed over to them by the military junta which is ruling over Burma. He took over the reigns of the ZRO from around the Kuki-Zomi ethnic clashes of 1997-98. In a rare interview granted to our CCpur correspondent Thangkhanlal Ngaihte somewhere deep inside Churachandpur district recently, Thanglianpau animatedly spoke about the aims of the ZRO as an organisation, recent problems it faced and a host of other issues.
Thangkhanlal Ngaihte (TKL): To start with, even as your organisation has emerged as an important news maker in the region, there are a lot of people who cannot even differentiate between the ZRO and ZRA…..
Thanglianpau Guite (T.Guite): The ZRA is the armed wing of the ZRO which is the parent body. The ZRA is one department (Defence) within the ZRO.
TKL: What exactly is the aspiration in the setting up of a revolutionary outfit like the ZRO/ZRA?
T. Guite: The aspiration is to bring all the Zomi people who were divided by artificial State boundaries in various countries, specifically in Burma, India and Bangladesh together under one administrative unit.
TKL: In specific terms, what are the programs the ZRO is presently pursuing to achieve that end?
T. Guite: We are fully aware of the difficulties ahead. Since the level of political awakening and maturity among the Zomi people differs from region to region and place to place, we have different programs at different areas to suit the needs. For example, ZRO presently strongly supports the democratic movement in Burma. In Bangladesh, it is mainly about mobilizing and enlightening the people towards our ends and in India, we are striving for political autonomy under the Constitution.
TKL: Have you started any dialogue process with the Indian Government in this regard?
T. Guite: We are still at a preliminary stage on that.
TKL: What is the ZRO/ZRA’s stand on the demands for Sixth Schedule, UT etc. in Zomi areas, especially in Manipur?
T. Guite: We will welcome them (if they were to be implemented) and we believe that they will be a step forward towards our ultimate goals.
TKL: There are lots of criticism against the ZRO on the differing stands it take during elections. Is there a principled policy?
T. Guite: It is our policy that those who are within the organisation will not stand for election. But, on giving support, we reserve the right to extend support to any candidate in any election on a case by case and area by area bases, depending on Zomi interests.
TKL: So, there is no principled stand…..
T. Guite: See, the ZRO is not interested in contesting and winning elections per se. But in a complex setting that we are in, in certain cases, if we just keep silent, another armed group will muscle its way in and get its man elected. The Zomi cause will suffer.
TKL: Your comments on the Indo-Naga dialogue? Suppose the talks progress well and something dramatic is about to happen…
T. Guite: Yes, there are many suggestions on what stand the Zomi people should take on this issue. It’s difficult to spell it out here. We, as a people, are not yet mature politically.
TKL: What kind of relationship is the ZRO/ZRA maintaining with other revolutionary groups, especially in Manipur?
T. Guite: It is always the ZRO’s policy to maintain good relationship with all groups. From around 1998, various Manipur groups began to link up with small factions and started incursions into the hills. There are problems and encounters occasionally tool place too, as we all know. But the point is we don’t see them as enemy. In fact, we believe that politics is about converting enemies into friends.
TKL: And among the militant groups within the Zom-Kuki-Mizo people, there are so many small factions. ZRA may well be the only outfit that still manages to stand as one, since its inception…..
T. Guite: That is right and it is very bad for all of us. In 1999, we floated a body called Indigenous Peoples Revolutionary Alliance (IPRA) with the aim to foster unity and maintain good relation with each other, as we are all the same and one people.
TKL: I thought the IPRA is now practically defunct…….
T. Guite: Not exactly. There are some groups asking for membership which is to be considered. No meetings (of the IPRA) were held during 2003 though. With this election getting over, things will look up.
TKL: On the ZRA-HPC clashes recently…
T. Guite: Everything is sorted out. We are friends. There was no problem at the top level at the time of the incident also. The unfortunate incidents are as a result of misunderstanding between cadres of both sides. It’s now over.
TKL: Outside the immediate environment, even in Mizoram, people tend to identify the ZRO/ZRA only with the Paites….
T. Guite: (Smiles) Even those who say so knows very well that it is not . All Zomi tribes are represented within the ZRO. It may be a propaganda to confuse and create division within the organisation. You speak to any of our men in the training camp and many of them will not understand your (Paite) language. In Mizoram though, when they say ‘Paite’ it means all Zomi people here.
TKL: At a personal level, you are an elected MP from Myanmar. What will you do if democracy returns there?
T. Guite: I have been in politics since my student days and I was among those who founded Zomi National Congress (ZNC) party in Burma. Our aim is the reunification of our people. I am committed to serve my people and my nation. For me, this place is my land as much as my MP constituency in Burma.
TKL: Lastly, since the ZRO/ZRA’s inception in 1993, how has the road been so far?
T. Guite: It’s not easy but we are progressing. We made a humble beginning in 1993 and were fully armed by 1997. Now, apart from the six tribes who are officially within our fold, majority of our people outside the fold also accept that we are Zomi. As for the ZRA as an armed organisation, we now have the capability to defend our people against all enemies and we also have now the wherewithal and resources to impart training even to other revolutionary groups.
Source: Published in the Sangai Express on 1st June, 2004
