Chin National Tradition Attire Speaks Loudest to Show the World Who the Chins Are

Chin National Tradition Attire Speaks Loudest

to Show the World Who the Chins Are.

                                                                    

                                                             By 

                           

                        Pu Lian Uk, Former MP from Hakha Township

To put on Chin fashion dress is most important where the world is now watching the peace talk of the Union of Myanmar (UM) as the spectators are watching the boxers in the boxing ring. We claim to practice our inalienable rights of self determination in the Chin territory which we have brought together with us to the Panglong agreement. Panglong agreement recognized the Chin territory boundaries with its neighbors especially with the Burmans and the Arakanese in the Section 2 of the constitution of Union of Burma 1947.

The British neutrally demarcated the boundaries of the 4 colonies Chins, Kachins, Shans and Burma ministerial. There was also sub boundaries of Myanmar, Karen, Mon, Arakan and Burmans in the Burma Ministerial too. So Arakan, Mons, Burmans, Karen were represented by General Aung San as the Chief Minister of the Burma ministerial State in which were Mon representative MPs Arakan Representative MPs, Karen Representative MPs and Burman Representative MPs in the state parliament of the Burma ministerial.

Chin State (Rf. freeburmaranger.org)

      Those MPs elected their Chief minister of Burma Ministerial colony. General Aung San was the elected Chief Minister to represent Burma Ministerial government at the Panglong agreement. Arakanese, Mons, Karen signed Panglong agreement through General Aung Sans who was their representative of their state Burma Ministerial. So Panglong agreement was signed by Chin British colony, Kachin British colony Shan British colony and Myanmar Ministerial British colony.

Kaya as Karenni was recognized by the British as an independent princely State before Panglong agreement was signed. But they came to join the Union of Burma after Panglong Agreement. Karen who struggled for their cause since prior to Panglong agreement also joined the Union accepting Panglong agreement signatory in retrospective.

We are to retain that heritage territory of the Chins bestowed by our successive fore fathers which they defended even against the British invasion with fully armed they could afford and a British military officer of a Major rank was awarded VC (Victoria Cross) for his bravery in the battle   with Chins at Siallum Fortress. Chin youths are to visit that Siallum Fortress to see how it was a fiercely fought in the battle ground by the Chins against the invading British troops. So, we claim now the self-determination and democracy in the Chin territory that joined the Union of Burma in volunteer with their territory of clearly demarcated boundary.

            Whenever there is boundary problem between Chins and Burmans this Boundary demarcated by the British become the best and most authentic evidence of demarcated boundary line that decide the Chin Burman boundary as the boundary demarcation was recognized by the Panglong Agreement in the section 2 of the constitution of the Union of Burma 1947. The core reason the Chin claim self-determination is based on Panglong Agreement so that the Chin territory becomes one of the constituent units of the federal Union of Burma. And that self-determination in the federalism of Union of Burma (UB) is with an aim and object that the Chin people are to retain and develop their territory with their culture and language with the state power of Legislative, Executive and the Judiciary.

            Union of Burma was known better and wider worldwide once through UN General Secretary U Thant. It is now known widely through Daw Aung San Suu Kyi. Chin national in the same way is to be known in the names of their leaders and their delegations. Union A Chin Traditional attire mostly traditionally designed in the Central Chin area.

His excellency Vice President Henry VanThio and Chin State Chief Minister are given much credit by the Chin population as they usually dress in Chin national costume attire,

CNF leaders also usually attend the Peace talks meeting in Chin national costume attire. 

          The CNF leaders to be in Chin national costume and attire is most important as the Peace negotiation is watched closely by the international people to understand who the stag holders ethnic armed groups are in the peace Process. So, the CNF leaders in Chin national traditional attire means that they are so serious about the self-determination cause of the Chin people in the eyes of the outside world. There can be a question that have they done enough?

Hakha City 

          Any person who are in Chin national attire like the Chin leaders are automatically recognized as Chins as they put on the same costume as their national leaders. That is the real spirit on claiming the self-determination rights in the Burma federalism. People in the Union of Myanmar recognize that leaders like Pu Zing Cung, Pu Lian Hmung Sakhong and Pu Sekhar are Chin leaders personally. If those leaders put on Chin traditional national costume in the meeting any person who are seen with same kind of Chin national costume are recognized by the people as Chins people. The Chin delegates they lead them are seen by the world as Chins only if they put on the Chin national costume attire in the Peace talk. So, to let the world know widely about the Chins is important for the Chin leaders to be in Chin National Attire. People may think that Chin leaders should not put on any Chin national attire as they are not officially declared Chin tradition attire.

            But we do have in truth Chin traditional attire in various colors and embroideries. Any Chin in regional or section traditional attire are all attires of various colors and an embroidery own by the whole Chins. Chins leaders like CNF are ideally to have all the Chin traditional attire we have in various colors and put on alternatively so that each section or part of the Chin region and section take in ideal that they represent them too. Any attire of color or embroideries can be chosen by any Chin to put on as Chin traditions no matter to which region or section he/she belongs to. Chin has no Uniformity in their national attire. We need not have such Unity in Uniformity. But we do recognize that the traditional costume of any section or region of the Chins people are all recognized as one of the Chin various costume. The Chins are to recognize any traditional Chin national costume by recognizing which kind of color and embroideries is produced or designed in which part of the Chin society. Our national attire is mainly in blanket fashion and the way to put on blanket that is commonly used is what the lovely wedding parties here are putting on the tradition blanket designed and produced in Central Chin.

                             

Various kinds of Chin Traditional Dress (Rf. 4laimi.wordpress.com)

 We have in various colors and embroideries and fundamentally you will recognize their similarities in colors. Here in the picture is the red color and the white color which the bride and the groom put on in white and the rest put on in red and embroideries.

Chin mostly used tradition dress of blanket and we have the way to put on in fashion show. Chin people and the people in Naga hills and Nagaland practiced much unity in diversity. That is, we recognized the different attires we have all to be owned by the Chin people and we can alternatively put on any costume that are used in any part of the Chin people. So whatever regional costume we put on it should be recognized by all the Chins that whatever costume of any section of the Chin people is to recognize as Chin national tradition costume.

Beautiful Chin girl with traditional dress 

          The world is now watching the Peace Talk of the Union of Myanmar like the playing boxers are in the boxing ring. Chin must be identified by the world that they have their representatives in their most important negotiation and talk. Chin delegates to the Peace talk are much encouraged to put on Chin national costume glaringly. The whole Chin people should also recognize that any costume of Chin tradition of any part they put on represent the Chin national identity. The delegates are not to forget Chin nationalism in the talk. That sense is seeking Chin national self determination to make them courageous and daring if they are nationalists enough. 

     We are denying our national identity if we do not recognize the Unity in diversity structure and Ideal. CNF is the place where all sections of the Chin people are best joined together forging the sense of Unity in diversity. “Unity in diversity” could be said as recognizing as a people of Chin ethnicity what minor differences we have in dialect and costume in which all the differences have basic and fundamental similarity that make us a people. 

       People in Nagaland and Mizoram have many similar affinities with the Chins as the same people. But they have long been in India in which country no term like “Chin” never exist and happened to have different names to suit Republic of India. We doubt whether they also have some notion that they have many similar affinities in the two of them like they have the same similar affinities with the people in the name Chins in the Union of Burma.

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1. Pu Lian Uk hi miphun le ram a dawmi Lai pasaltha a si. A catialmi pawl hi amah nawlpeknak in ka blog ah ka chiahmi an si. Cafang remhmi a um lo. Hmanthlak tu hi aa tlak ning in ka chiahmi hna an si. A cungah tampi ka lawm. 

2. Hmanthlak pawl hi website chung in lak chinmi an si. Google ah chiahmi in ka lak chin hna.