A delegation of New Zealand Members of Parliament (MPs) and officials from the Chin National Front (CNF) met at an undisclosed location in Thailand to discuss three key issues, including humanitarian aid.
A three-member delegation of New Zealand Members of Parliament Fact Finding Mission on Myanmar met with officials from the Chin National Front’s (CNF) Foreign Relations Department on September 28.
The CNF told the New Zealand delegation that Chin resistance forces would reject the coup junta’s planned election and urged the international community not to recognize the outcome.
“The election will only make the Myanmar crisis more complicated. The five-point consensus developed by ASEAN to address the crisis does not include holding elections. What we emphasized in our discussion is that implementing those points should be the priority. We also made it clear to the New Zealand delegation that we will not recognize the results of the election, and we urged the international community not to accept them either,” said Salai Van, spokesperson for the CNF.
The CNF also urged New Zealand to support government-building efforts in Chin State in line with the Bottom-up Federalism system, which aims to ensure that sovereignty originates from the people in the states and regions rather than from a central union.
In addition, the CNF highlighted the need for humanitarian assistance for those displaced by conflict who are currently taking refuge in Chin State and along the India-Myanmar border.
“Compared to other states and regions, Chin State has received very little humanitarian assistance, and about half of its population has been displaced. We therefore call on the international community to provide effective humanitarian support to the Chin people. We also urge the international community not to recognize the upcoming election,” Salai Van added.
The New Zealand MPs delegation held discussions not only with the CNF but also with representatives from the National Unity Consultative Council (NUCC), Committee Representing Pyidaungsu Hluttaw (CRPH), Karenni National Progressive Party (KNPP), Kachin Political Interim Coordination Team (KPICT), Pa-O National Federal Council (PNFC), as well as civil society organizations and resistance forces.