Mizoram MP invites Myanmar's Chinland Council to join India, cites ethnic ties and political instability

In a move that could have far-reaching diplomatic implications, Mizoram’s Rajya Sabha MP K Vanlalvena has invited Myanmar’s Chinland Council to consider joining India, citing Myanmar’s ongoing political instability and the deep ethnic ties between the Chin and Mizo communities.

Vanlalvena, a member of the Mizo National Front (MNF), recently visited the headquarters of the Chinland Council and Camp Victoria—the base of the Chin National Army, the armed wing of the Chin resistance movement, reported The Hindu. The group currently controls significant portions of northwestern Myanmar bordering India. His visit comes amid a power vacuum in Myanmar, where several ethnic armed groups, including the Chinland Council, have taken administrative control of border regions in the absence of a functioning government.

A 'brotherly' invitation to join India

Speaking to media, Vanlalvena revealed that he had traveled on foot from Mizoram into Myanmar last week after informing Mizoram Governor V.K. Singh and the Assam Rifles. He stated that his visit was unofficial and aimed at fostering “friendship and brotherhood” with the Chin leadership.

“I visited the headquarters of the Chinland Council and Camp Victoria of the Chin National Front Army in Myanmar from February 27. It is important that we have good relations with them as they are administering areas along the Mizoram-Myanmar border, and they also belong to the same Mizo family,” he said.

The Hindu report stated that Vanlalvena emphasized that his proposal for Chinland to consider joining India stemmed from the shared ethnic heritage of the Chin and Mizo people. “Those living on the Myanmar side belong to the Mizo tribe. We are all the same, and sometimes they need us, just as we need them. The Myanmar government is almost gone, and the army has withdrawn. If they wish to, they could join the Indian Union,” he added.

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Myanmar’s crisis and Chinland’s control

Myanmar has been in turmoil since the military coup of February 2021, which led to the rise of ethnic armed insurgent groups taking control of various regions. The Chin National Army, one of the most prominent resistance forces, has effectively administered border areas for the past six months. This has led to significant unrest, forcing over 40,000 refugees of Chin-Kuki-Zo ethnicity to flee into Mizoram, where the MNF-led government has provided humanitarian aid despite India’s official stance of non-intervention.

While Vanlalvena’s visit was informal, his invitation to the Chinland Council could trigger diplomatic concerns, as Myanmar’s military junta has previously accused India of sheltering rebel groups along the border.

Free movement and border restrictions

India shares a 1,643 km porous border with Myanmar, passing through Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Manipur, and Mizoram. Under the Free Movement Regime (FMR), border residents were historically allowed to travel up to 16 km into either country without a visa. However, in December 2024, India’s Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) reduced the limit to 10 km, citing security concerns over cross-border militant activities.

Despite these restrictions, Mizoram has continued to host thousands of Chin refugees, providing them with shelter, education, and healthcare. The state government, under MNF leadership, has maintained that the Chin people are their ethnic brethren and that humanitarian aid should take precedence over diplomatic formalities.

Potential diplomatic fallout

Vanlalvena’s remarks, if pursued officially, could escalate tensions between India and Myanmar, particularly as the junta continues its struggle against ethnic resistance groups. India has so far maintained a cautious approach, balancing strategic interests with humanitarian concerns, while Myanmar’s military regime has accused India of allowing Chin insurgents to operate from its territory.

The Mizoram MP stated that he plans to meet India’s Home Minister and External Affairs Minister in Delhi to brief them on his discussions with the Chin leadership. Whether the Indian government will acknowledge or act on Vanlalvena’s proposal remains uncertain, but his comments highlight the growing complexities along the Indo-Myanmar border as the crisis in Myanmar deepens.

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