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{{distinguish|Zomi Re-unification Organisation}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2025}}
{{Infobox organization
| name = Zo Reunification Organization
| native_name =
| native_name_lang = en
| logo = Zo Reunification Organisation Logo.png
| abbreviation = ZORO
| formation = {{start date and age|1988|05|20|df=y}}
| founding_location = [[Champhai]], [[Mizoram]], India
| type = Non-Governmental Organization (NGO)
| purpose = Advocacy for Zo ethnic group unification
| headquarters = [[Aizawl]], [[Mizoram]], India
| region_served = India, Myanmar, and Bangladesh
| language = English, Mizo, and other Zo languages
| leader_title = President
| leader_name = R. Sangkawia
| methods = Advocacy, cultural preservation, policy representation
| website =
}}

The '''Zo Reunification Organization''' ('''ZORO''') is a [[non-governmental organization]] based in [[Aizawl]], [[Mizoram]], India, that campaigns for the unification of the [[Zo people]], an ethnic group encompassing the [[Mizo people|Mizos]], [[Chin people|Chins]], [[Kuki people|Kukis]], and [[Zomi people|Zomis]], who are spread across [[Northeast India]], [[Myanmar]], and [[Bangladesh]].<ref name="resolution">{{citation |last=Nang |first=Gin Khan |title=Zomi Christianity and cultural transformation |publisher=Fuller Theological Seminary |year=2010 |id={{ProQuest|855818510}} |pages=241–242 |quote=In order to promote the just struggle for Zo Re-unification:<br/>(I) We solemnly affirm and resolve<br/>That a loose political forum<br/>Called the "ZO RE-UNIFICATION ORGANISATION" be formed...}}</ref><ref name="IT 1988">{{cite magazine |first=Ramesh |last=Menon |title=Former chief minister Brigadier Thenphunga Sailo plans to carve new Mizoram state |magazine=India Today |date=30 June 1988 |url=https://www.indiatoday.in/magazine/indiascope/story/19880630-former-chief-minister-brigadier-thenphunga-sailo-plans-to-carve-new-mizoram-state-797433-1988-06-29}}</ref> It was founded at the First World Zomi Convention in [[Champhai]] on 20 May 1988 as a "loose political forum" intended to pursue reunification through peaceful and democratic means.<ref name="resolution"/><ref name="Doungel">{{Cite journal |last=Doungel |first=Jangkhongam |date=2014 |title=Genesis and Functioning of the Zo Re-Unification Organisation (Z.O.R.O.) |journal=SKWC Journal of Social Sciences |volume=2014 |pages=1–12 |via=[[SSRN]]}} Also available via [https://zomipress.com/genesis-and-functioning-of-the-zo-re-unification-organisation-zoro/ Zomi Press]</ref> Since 1999 it has engaged with [[United Nations]] bodies on indigenous peoples' rights and is a registered participant in the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs.<ref>{{Cite web |title=United Nations Civil Society Participation – General |url=https://esango.un.org/civilsociety/showProfileDetail.do?method=showProfileDetails&profileCode=6774 |access-date=2025-05-20 |website=esango.un.org}}</ref>

== Background ==
The [[Zo people]], historically known by the exonyms Chin, Kuki, and Lushai, inhabited a contiguous highland region spanning what is now Mizoram, [[Manipur]], parts of [[Assam]] and [[Tripura]] in India, Myanmar's [[Chin State]], and the [[Chittagong Hill Tracts]] in Bangladesh. British colonial administrators divided this territory among three administrative units in 1890: the Chief Commissioner of Burma, the Chief Commissioner of Assam, and the Lieutenant-Governor of Bengal.<ref name="Zou">{{harvp|Zou, A Historical Study of the 'Zo' Struggle|2010}}</ref> Successive proposals to reunify the Chin-Lushai country under one administration, including one by the Governor of Assam, Sir Robert Reid, in 1941, which received in-principle approval from Winston Churchill were never carried out.<ref name="Doungel"/> The partition of [[British India]] in 1947 and Burmese independence in 1948 further entrenched these divisions along international borders.

Movements for Zo political unity arose periodically in the post-independence era. The [[Mizo National Front]] (MNF) launched an armed insurgency in 1966 with the stated goal of establishing an independent state for all Zo-inhabited areas.{{sfnp|Zou, A Historical Study of the 'Zo' Struggle|2010|p=56}} In Manipur, T. Gougin founded the [[Zomi National Congress]] (ZNC) in 1972 to campaign for the unification of the Zomi of India and Burma and submitted a memorandum to President [[V. V. Giri]].<ref name="Piang">{{citation |first=L. Lam Khan |last=Piang |title=Contestation of etic categorizations and emic categories: resurgence of Zo ethno-national identity in the Indo-Myanmar borderland |journal=South East Asia Research |volume=28 |number=3 |year=2020 |doi=10.1080/0967828X.2020.1820900 |page=291}}</ref>

== Formation ==
In 1986, the [[Mizoram Peace Accord]] ended the MNF insurgency, and [[Mizoram]] attained full statehood. The MNF transformed into a political party and won the [[1987 Mizoram Legislative Assembly election|1987 state election]], making Mizoram the first democratic Zo-majority state. T. Gougin of the ZNC had met MNF leader [[Laldenga]] to discuss cooperation, but the two disagreed over naming: Gougin favoured "Zomi" while Laldenga insisted on "Mizo".{{sfnp|Zou, A Historical Study of the 'Zo' Struggle|2010|p=61}}{{efn|"Zomi" means "Zo people" and "Mizo" means "people of Zo"—the semantic content is identical, but the preferred form became a point of political contention.{{sfnp|Zou, A Historical Study of the 'Zo' Struggle|2010|p=61}}}}

On 5 April 1988, the ZNC and the [[Mizoram People's Conference]] (MPC), now in opposition, signed a pact to organise a convention jointly. The First World Zomi Convention was held in [[Champhai]] from 19 to 21 May 1988.<ref name="Hindu 1988">{{citation |title=Sailo Leads Movement To Reunify Mizo-inhabited Areas |newspaper=The Hindu |date=29 May 1988 |url=https://archive.org/details/jprs-report_jprs-nea-88-052/page/n32/mode/1up |via=JPRS, archive.org}}</ref> An estimated 20,000 people attended, the great majority from Mizoram and Manipur, with smaller delegations from Assam, Myanmar's Chin State, and the Chittagong Hill Tracts of Bangladesh.{{sfnp|Zou, A Historical Study of the 'Zo' Struggle|2010|p=61}}<ref name="Piang"/>

The convention adopted "Zo" as the common ethnic name for the entire Kuki-Chin community, the delegates reasoning that the suffix "mi" (meaning "people") was redundant in a community name.<ref name="Piang"/> It then resolved to form a "loose political forum" called the Zo Re-unification Organisation.<ref name="resolution"/><ref name="IT 1988"/> MPC leader [[T. Sailo]] was elected Chairman, T. Gougin and C. Chawngkunga became Vice Chairmen, S. Thangkhangin Ngaihte and Lalhmingthanga served as Secretary General, and Thangmawia was named Treasurer.<ref name="Doungel"/> The delegates stipulated that ZORO would not interfere with the local political programmes of its constituent parties.<ref>{{citation |last=Suan |first=H. Kham Khan |title=Rethinking 'tribe' identities: The politics of recognition among the Zo in north-east India |journal=Contributions to Indian Sociology |volume=45 |number=2 |year=2011 |doi=10.1177/006996671104500201 |pages=178–179}}</ref> After the convention, a long march of volunteers was taken from Champhai to Aizawl to mark the occasion.

{{efn|Some contemporary reports referred to the body as the "Zomi Reunification Organisation", apparently deriving the name from the convention rather than the resolution itself.<ref name="Hindu 1988"/> The confusion between the two names persists.<ref>{{citation |last=Das |first=N. K. |chapter=Indigeneity, Cultural Memory, and Hybrid Identity: Politics of 'Belonging' Among Zomi–Chin-Kuki People of India–Myanmar Borderlands |editor=A. K. Giri |title=Cross-Fertilizing Roots and Routes |pages=234–235 |publisher=Springer |year=2021 |chapter-url=https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Nava-Das/publication/348710335|doi=10.1007/978-981-15-7118-3_13}}</ref><ref>Angshuman Choudhury, [https://www.hindustantimes.com/analysis/northeastern-view-resurgence-of-zo-reunification-demand-bares-the-high-costs-of-new-delhi-s-border-closure-decision-101716663803473.html Northeastern View | Resurgence of Zo reunification demand bares the high costs of New Delhi's border closure decision], Hindustan Times, 26 May 2024. {{ProQuest|3060097359}}</ref> A separate body, the [[Zomi Reunification Organisation]], was established in 1993 at Phapian in Myanmar's [[Kachin State]] and is headquartered in [[Churachandpur]].}}

== International engagement ==
ZORO has pursued its aims through international forums. Since 1999 it has participated in sessions of the [[United Nations Working Group on Indigenous Populations]] (UNWGIP), and since 2004 in the [[United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues]] (UNPFII).<ref name="Doungel"/><ref>{{Cite news |last=Vanlalruata |first=H.C. |date=4 December 2024 |title=Mizoram speaker unveils Zo ID card to protect rights of indigenous people |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/guwahati/mizoram-speaker-launches-zo-id-card-to-empower-indigenous-peoples/articleshow/115981658.cms |work=The Times of India|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250812073811/https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/guwahati/mizoram-speaker-launches-zo-id-card-to-empower-indigenous-peoples/articleshow/115981658.cms|archive-date=12 August 2025}}</ref> The organisation has also attended conferences convened by the [[World Trade Organization]], the [[World Bank]], and the UN Expert Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Lalremruata |first=Andrew H. |title=Governor inaugurates Zo-Inpui |publisher=Government of Mizoram |date=2010-09-10 |url=https://dipr.mizoram.gov.in/post/governor-inaugurates-zo-inpui |archive-date=17 January 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250117115632/https://dipr.mizoram.gov.in/post/governor-inaugurates-zo-inpui |access-date=20 May 2025 |url-status=live}}</ref> In November 2024, ZORO submitted a memorandum to the United Nations calling for the reunification of ethnic Mizos across international borders.<ref>{{Cite news |date=24 November 2024 |title=ZORO memorandum to UN for reunification of all ethnic Mizos |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/guwahati/zoro-appeals-to-un-for-reunification-of-ethnic-mizos-across-borders/articleshow/115627945.cms |work=The Times of India|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241125014311/https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/guwahati/zoro-appeals-to-un-for-reunification-of-ethnic-mizos-across-borders/articleshow/115627945.cms|archive-date=25 November 2024}}</ref>

== Free Movement Regime controversy ==
The Free Movement Regime (FMR), introduced by India and Myanmar, allowed residents within 16 kilometres of the 1,643-km Indo-Myanmar border to cross without visas, facilitating trade, kinship ties, and cultural exchange among the Zo communities on both sides.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Singh |first=Bikash |date=6 January 2024 |title=Zo Reunification Organization opposes abolishment of FMR, installation of Indo-Myanmar border fence |url=https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/india/zo-reunification-organization-opposes-abolishment-of-fmr-installation-of-indo-myanmar-border-fence/articleshow/106599729.cms |work=The Economic Times|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240125055047/https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/india/zo-reunification-organization-opposes-abolishment-of-fmr-installation-of-indo-myanmar-border-fence/articleshow/106599729.cms|archive-date=25 January 2024}}</ref>

In May 2024, ZORO held a large public rally at Zokhawthar, a border town in Champhai district, to protest the Indian government's plans to fence the border and revoke the FMR. The rally drew participants from the ruling [[Zoram People's Movement|Zoram People's Party]] as well as villagers from neighbouring Myanmar. ZORO general secretary L. Ramdinliana Renthlei warned that the proposed measures would be perceived by the Zo people as an act of permanent separation. Similar rallies were held in [[Lunglei district]] and Manipur's [[Tengnoupal district]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=31 May 2022 |title=Zo Reunification Organization (ZORO) Opposed to Manipur government's "plan to seize tribal territories" |url=https://www.themizos.com/2022/05/zo-reunification-organization-zoro.html |website=The Mizos|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240301013859/https://www.themizos.com/2022/05/zo-reunification-organization-zoro.html|archive-date=1 March 2024}}</ref>

When the Indian government replaced the FMR with a border pass system effective 1 January 2025, ZORO organised protests across Mizoram, including in Aizawl, Champhai, [[Lunglei]], [[Kolasib]], and [[Serchhip]]; at which copies of the government order were symbolically burned. The organisation announced plans to work with the [[Mizo Zirlai Pawl]] (MZP), a student body, to demand reinstatement of the FMR at the national level.

== Manipur crisis and peace efforts ==
Following ethnic clashes in [[Manipur]] in 2023, ZORO organised a rally in Aizawl on 12 July 2023, calling for the protection of Zo communities and a unified Zo homeland. The Mizoram state government and several NGOs assisted in sheltering refugees from Manipur who had fled to Mizoram.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Piang |first=L. Lam Khan |date=2012-09-17 |title=Ethnic mobilisation for decolonisation: colonial legacy (the case of the Zo people in Northeast India) |journal=Asian Ethnicity |volume=14 |issue=3 |pages=342–363 |doi=10.1080/14631369.2012.688670 |issn=1463-1369}}</ref>

In 2024, ZORO facilitated peace talks among Zo-affiliated resistance groups in Myanmar's Chin State, including the [[Chin National Army]] (CNA), the [[Zomi Revolutionary Army]] (ZRA), and the [[Chin Brotherhood Alliance]] (CBA). The talks sought to resolve inter-group conflicts and consolidate opposition to the [[Myanmar military junta|military junta]].<ref name=":3">{{Cite web |date=23 August 2024 |title=ZORO convenes talks between Chin Brotherhood and ICNCC |url=https://www.bnionline.net/en/news/zoro-convenes-talks-between-chin-brotherhood-and-icncc |website=Burma News International|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240927004159/https://www.bnionline.net/en/news/zoro-convenes-talks-between-chin-brotherhood-and-icncc|archive-date=27 September 2024}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=7 August 2024 |title=ZORO meeting addresses conflict between Chin revolutionary groups |url=https://www.bnionline.net/en/news/zoro-meeting-addresses-conflict-between-chin-revolutionary-groups |website=Burma News International|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240813090442/https://www.bnionline.net/en/news/zoro-meeting-addresses-conflict-between-chin-revolutionary-groups|archive-date=13 August 2024}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Vanlalruata |first=H.C. |date=2 July 2024 |title=Making efforts to unite warring Chin groups in Myanmar to oust junta: ZoRO |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/guwahati/making-efforts-to-unite-warring-chin-groups-in-myanmar-to-oust-junta-zoro/articleshow/111427292.cms |work=The Times of India|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250115105240/https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/guwahati/making-efforts-to-unite-warring-chin-groups-in-myanmar-to-oust-junta-zoro/articleshow/111427292.cms|archive-date=15 January 2025}}</ref>

In March 2025, ZORO met Indian Home Minister [[Amit Shah]] during his visit to Mizoram and requested a separate administrative arrangement for the Kuki (Zo) people of Manipur, arguing that coexistence under the same governance as the [[Meitei people|Meitei]] majority had become untenable.

== Organisation ==
ZORO's general headquarters is in Aizawl. It is led by an elected body consisting of a Chairman (later styled President), Vice Chairman, Secretary General, Treasurer, and other officials.<ref>{{Cite web |date=30 September 2024 |title=Zo Re-unification Organisation (ZoRO) Founders |url=https://www.khalvontawi.in/2024/09/zo-re-unification-organisation-zoro.html |website=Khalvontawi|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250328085528/https://www.khalvontawi.in/2024/09/zo-re-unification-organisation-zoro.html|archive-date=28 March 2025}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-07-12 |title=We support and will work towards the unity of Zo ethnic people: ZORO (video) |url=https://www.khalvontawi.in/2023/07/we-support-and-will-work-toward-unity.html |website=Khalvontawi|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250629055808/https://www.khalvontawi.in/2023/07/we-support-and-will-work-toward-unity.html|archive-date=29 June 2025}}</ref> As of 2023, R. Sangkawia served as President and Rohmingthanga Kawlni as Vice President. The founding chairman, R. Thangmawia, died on 20 July 2015.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Mizoram: Head of Zo Reunification Organisation R Thangmawia passes away |website=The Indian Express |date=20 July 2017 |url=https://indianexpress.com/article/india/india-others/head-of-zo-reunification-organisation-r-thangmawia-passes-away/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180131222449/https://indianexpress.com/article/india/india-others/head-of-zo-reunification-organisation-r-thangmawia-passes-away/|archive-date=31 January 2018}}</ref>

== Notes ==
{{notelist}}

== References ==
{{Reflist}}
; Sources
* {{citation |last=Zou |first=David Vumlallian |title=A Historical Study of the 'Zo' Struggle |journal=Economic and Political Weekly |date=3–9 April 2010 |volume=45 |number=14 |pages=56–63 |jstor=25664306 |ref={{sfnref|Zou, A Historical Study of the 'Zo' Struggle|2010}}}}

[[Category:Organisations based in Mizoram]]
[[Category:Non-governmental organizations]]
[[Category:Organizations established in 1988]]
[[Category:1980s establishments in Mizoram]]
[[Category:Political organisations based in India]]
[[Category:1988 establishments in India]]

Zo Reunification Organization - Revision history

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