Zomi Revolutionary Army

The Zomi Revolutionary Army, formed in April 1993 at Phapian (Kachin State), Burma,[1] is the armed wing of the Zomi Revolutionary Organization (ZRO). Pu K Guite, a Zomi leader from Karbi Anglong (Mikir Hills of Assam), is the founder president of the organization.

Leadership

ZRA possesses three main leadership positions: president, general secretary, and information and publicity secretary.[2]

Objective

The ZRA is a nationalist/separatist group dedicated to the defense of Zomis and the reunification of ethnic Zomi people in Burma (Chin State), Bangladesh (Chittagong Hill Tracts), and northeast India (Manipur and Mizoram). It aims to unite all Zomi people under one governing unit, known as a Zogam, meaning "land of the Zomi" under the Indian Union.[3][4]

Areas of operation

The ZRA mainly conducts operations in Paite-dominated areas of Churachandpur in Manipur state, particularly the Singnat subdivision near Myanmar. ZRA also conducted operations in the bordering regions in Mizoram and Manipur in the past.[3]

Funding

The ZRA funds itself mainly through extortion and collection of "protection fees" from civilians who live in their areas of operations. In exchange for this fee, ZRA militants protect travelers from being shot at, kidnapped, or robbed by rival other groups. In June 2004, ZRA militants alleged that the Mizo National Front (MNF) government in Mizoram only partially paid the group for campaigning for its candidates in Champhai. Opposition leader Lal Thanhawla alleged that the MNF owed ZRA payment for these services, and since MNF failed to pay, ZRA would begin collecting fees from residents of Mizoram.[2]

Links to other terrorist groups

The ZRA maintains ties mainly to two other groups: Kanglei Yawol Kanna Lup and the National Socialist Council of Nagaland-Isak Muivah, Furthermore, ZRA reached a memorandum of understanding with the Kuki Liberation Organization promising "full cooperation in all spheres with the objective of strengthening the blood ties among the Kuki-Chin-Mizo-Zomi people".[3] ZRA also ended its conflict with the Hmar People's Convention-Democracy, reaching an agreement to work closely in the spirit of mutual understanding and cooperation for the welfare of the people and for achieving their shared objectives".[2]

Previous incidents

On June 9, 2005, ZRA cadres ambushed a truck in Churachandpur carrying Zomi Revolutionary Front (ZRF) militants, killing three ZRF men and one civilian; this attack occurred as retaliation for ZRF defection from ZRA.[5]

On September 20, 2005, ZRA militants clashed with Zomi Revolutionary Front forces, killing six men; one ZRA activist was also injured.[6]

On August 20, 2006, The Indian Army killed two civilians and injured four others when they opened fire towards a party of Churchgoers at Vengnuam in the Churachandpur district which is the ZRA's stronghold on the wrong pretext that ZRA members were present.[7]

On January 15, 2010, two ZRA militants died in a clash with members of the Revolutionary People's Front (RPF), the armed wing of the People's Liberation Army in interior Manipur.[8]

References

  1. ↑ "Formation, ZOMI, Zogam Organisation, Formation". Zogam.org. Retrieved 12 October 2014.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 "Fact Sheet for Zomi Revolutionary Organisation - Silobreaker". Silobreaker.com. Retrieved 12 October 2014.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 "Zomi Revolutionary Organisation/ Zomi Revolutionary Army , Manipur, India, South Asia Terrorism Portal". Satp.org. Retrieved 12 October 2014.
  4. ↑ "START - Terrorist Organization Profile". Start.umd.edu. Retrieved 12 October 2014.
  5. ↑
  6. ↑ "BBC News - South Asia - ambush kills nine Indian soldiers". News.bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 12 October 2014.
  7. ↑ "CZC flays CCpur Church attack : 29th aug06 ~ E-Pao! Headlines". E-pao.net. Retrieved 12 October 2014.
  8. ↑ "news.outlookindia.com - Two militants killed in Manipur". News.outlookindia.com. Retrieved 12 October 2014.

External links