Zomi National Congress

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The Zomi National Congress (ZNC) is the name of a political party in Burma, registered in 1988. It was permitted to function as a political organization until 1992, when the Burma military government abolished the party, and banned it from all political movements. While heavily oppressed as an un-sanctioned party, ZNC still exists within Burma, and as part of the global Zo Movement.

Chin Sian Thang, 67, is chairman of the Zomi National Congress.Elected as a Member of Parliament during Burma’s ill-fated 1990 elections, he has worked diligently for many years in defiance of the country’s ruling junta. During the 1960s, Chin Sian Thang served as a leader of the Chin Ethnic Student Union while a student at Rangoon University. He has been imprisoned on at least six occasions by successive military regimes for his political activities between 1972 and 1999. In each instance, he served two years, during which he was subjected to brutal interrogations that led to permanent health problems.

He also serves as a member of the Committee Representing People’s Parliament, a group supported by 251 candidates elected in 1990. Considered a moderate ethnic leader, Chin Sian Thang heavily promotes the CRPP as a rallying point for Burmese activists and ethnic leaders.He is the most outspoken elected ethnic leader in Burma. He is the coauthor of "In Burma, a Cry for U.N. Help" (Washington Post - Thursday, October 26, 2006; Page A25).