2008 Chin National Day message

Chin National Day
Feb 20th 2008.

Today is a historic day, a day when our forefathers came together in Unity, to shake off our ill national history and re-designed it in favor of the interest of the majority of the Chin people, abandoning the political system introduced by the British-western style ancient feudalism. Hence, our forefathers, gathering together at the Falam City, came together in Unity for social change, change from the division of the society-the rulers and the ruled- to a societal pattern with equal status of all members of the society, equal distribution and equal access of public resources and opportunities, such as land and opportunity-opportunity to hold public offices and to become administrators and leaders of the community based on individual’s citizenship and membership to the society. In short, to day is a historic day, when our forefathers ever established a Democratic rule in the Chin society.

Affirming and declaring our agreement and commitment to follow after the collective decision and footstep of our forefathers, today, Chin people around the world celebrate the Chin National Day. By celebrating this day, we the Chin people declare to the world about our existence and principles of human relation within ourselves as well as to the people of other ethnic groups and nations that we are peace loving people with respect for others, entrenched with the principles of justice and equality of all human beings.


Today, our people face enormous social and political challenges that each Chin adult has national responsibility and obligation to take care of one’s own share, if we are to keep up the progress of the Chin people’s civilization against all odds and threats. Nevertheless, the future is certainly brighter as long as the Chin people will do each of their own historical shares.


Politically, we have been deceived, betrayed and oppressed by the Burmese military regime that our forefathers’ conditional agreement with the Burma leaders to build together a union country called “Union of Burma” is forgotten and totally destroyed. Now, our birth rights have been being abused every day, and our national freedom under attacked at gun points. But human history teaches us a lesson that no empire ever existed forever or no colony last for millennium. Therefore, learning a tragic lesson from the misbehaviors of the Burmese military leaders, we the Chin people have to stand committed to keep our history save from the intruder’s destructive game. Lets all say together, “We all are committed to follow the footsteps of our forefathers to write our own national history and keep our national freedom untouched.”

Under the brutal Burmese military rule, the Chin people’s socio political and economic development is blocked, hindered, and ignored. Our freedom is taken away and our rights being abused everyday. The Burmese military leaders’ systematic Burmanization policy has tried to terminate the flow of the historical political trend of the Chin people by subduing it under the “Burma” national identity.

Historical waves may sometimes push us down on the road but lets steadfast and stand together and firmly hold what we believe that our future national history rest upon our commitment.. We, the Chin people have historical records of bravery, hard working, honesty and integrity and obedience to the God of the universe who will always be faithful to hear the prayer and dreams of our people.

Blessings in disguise, now, there are more than 100 young Chin students in North America, pursuing their higher level studies and thousands more around the globe. From inside the country, every educational opportunity for our young children to study abroad with scholarships and special opportunities are all taken away by the military leaders for their family members and children of their party men. The economic hardship and administrative process blocked all educational as well as professional opportunities for our children. Therefore, it is impossible for poor young student to go to abroad for further studies. But the God of the Chin people has opened doors for our young generation in many different ways. There is a greater and brighter hope for the future generation that our people from around the globe will help each other in channeling educational opportunities and resources through social networking whether formerly or informally. Nothing can prevent the God of the Chin people from blessing this generation to meet His expectation.

Now, where once there were no single Chin student, Chin students of North America, with more then hundred students, has student organization called Chin Student Union of North America (CSUNA) which focuses on student activities and educational development, reaching Chin students of different parts of the world and encouraging further organization of regional and continental Chin student organization a round the world, connecting Chin students inside and outside Burma. The Burmese military regime might able to control the political system at gun point, but it is obviously proven that they cannot stop the God of our people from blessing our people with opportunities and resources to advance knowledge and access to the world outside. It is historically proven that the shape and image of our national history rest upon our own action. We might be beaten up and stopped from managing our own national course, but they cannot stop our committed souls to uplift our national moral integrity and national image in the face of the universe. Our national history depends on our own choice of action.

Choosing the greater goods of all fellow citizens, my fellow generation, we have to fight against, not only the military regime, but also our own destructive social, political, and religious evils. Today, what we face as the most destructive elements in the society are not “bad things” in the minds of those who uphold those principles and carry out their action to satisfy their human curiosity. For example, those Burmese military leaders were once patriots of the nation and the Burma military institution was initially started from Burma Intemperance Army (BIA) who successfully fought against the British colonization and freed the country. What was gone wrong with the Burmese military leaders can also happen again to people who oppose them from a higher ground now. In order to prevent such historical nightmare repeating within our own society, we have to stand together and fight against the root causes of such social political evils from the hearts and minds of this generation. In order to do that, we all citizens of today’s generation, students, formers, workers, politicians, religious leaders, and all members of the society have to get involve. If we do not fight against our social political evils, our celebration is doom at its face value. That means we will always celebrate the past but without future hope.

My dear fellow citizens, let me remind you one thing. Respect and honor of the people cannot be earned by force or by means of social political evils. Some might have thought that way and used guns and arms to earn respect and submission from the people, but in vain. Others might have cultivated social political evils to grasp opportunity but in return receives the opposite of their inspiration, shooting their own shoes during such critical historical moment and weakening the Chin national political force. Without the spirit of our forefathers, moral integrity and honesty, unity and humanly consideration for others’ interest, the celebration of the Chin National Day is a mock and insult to our forefathers. Therefore, whoever celebrates this Day, whether Chin or friend, lets do with the spirit of our forefathers, the Chin patriots of the past.

It is not guns, money, or any foreign agent, but our people’s unchallenged bond of brotherhood with the spirits of our forefathers that will prevail against all odds of historical challenges. As we celebrate this Day, let’s examine ourselves, have we forsaken our own selfish interest that stands against the collective interest of our people? Have we defeated the contemporary social political evils of our society? Are our souls really free to deliver freedom to our people? Are we still enslaved by our own fear, selfish ambition, immorality, and ignorance? We live in a period of the time context of history that is unique in its advancement, changes, challenges, and trend that if we are to win the war and crown our future with glory, we need to play within its time context and historical relevancy.


My dear fellow citizens, finally, I would like to salute to the fallen forefathers who have paid the price for our national history and my fallen fellow citizens of “8888” generation who have lost their lives while fighting for the peace and freedom of our people.

May God Bless you all! God Bless Chin people!

Thanks,

Hre Mang