Press Release: CAM Report Launch and Hybrid Event on June 27, 2023

June 14, 2023

Washington, DC — On Tuesday, June 27, 2023, the Chin Association of Maryland will hold a private roundtable from 2:00-3:30 PM EST at the Open Society Foundations in Washington, DC with a hybrid format to discuss its latest report, Chin Refugees in India’s Mizoram State: Helping the Refugees and Supporting the Local Communities Welcoming Them.

From March 10 – 24, 2023, Reverend Tim Siemens, CAM Board Chairman, Matthew Wilch, Advisor, and Zo Tum Hmung, Executive Director, traveled to New Delhi and Mizoram State of India to assess the situation of Chin and other refugees from Burma. The report presents key findings from the trip and recommendations for addressing humanitarian needs.

“We have found that the Mizoram State government, NGOs and churches have warmly welcomed Chins and other refugees from Burma,” said Matthew Wilch, CAM Advisor and the writer of the report. “But the refugees and the communities welcoming them need help also from the international community.”

“The refugees need protection and more humanitarian aid. The presence in Mizoram of UN agencies including UNHCR, UNICEF, WFP, and other relevant UN agencies could help to facilitate this,” added Zo Tum Hmung, CAM Executive Director.  “On the other hand, in Burma, the one million internally-displaced persons in Chin State and neighboring Sagaing and Magway Regions should receive assistance across the India-Burma border to provide them protection and meet their dire humanitarian needs.”

This report is CAM’s fourth since the February 1, 2021 military coup in Burma. CAM thanks the Open Society Foundations for hosting the in-person portion of this hybrid event.

Please RSVP to John Indergaard at john.indergaard@chinmd.org by 12:00 PM EST on Wednesday, June 21, 2023 for in-person attendance. In order to receive a Zoom link, indicate “on-line attendance” in your RSVP.
Contact:
Zo Tum Hmung
Tel. 443-936-8616
zotumhmung@chinmd.org
www.chinmd.org
The Chin Association of Maryland, Inc. (CAM) is a 501 (c)(3) non-profit organization based in Washington, D.C. and Maryland. CAM empowers Chin communities in Maryland to successfully integrated into American society. CAM also advocates for durable solutions for Chin and other refugees and internally displaced persons, and religious freedom and human rights in Burma.