Who we are

Chin Community of Adelaide  is a registered non-for-profit organisation, established in 2017 by the Chin refugee community with an aim to support the communities across Adelaide, focusing on the people from the CALD and refugee-like backgrounds as well as the people back in home country, providing a range of community and social services, and humanitarian support. 

Our services include but are not limited to advocacy, capacity building, community and social support, cultural education, referrals to services, and other essential supports in employment, education and training, and settlement including humanitarian assistances. 

Chin state is located in the remote mountain ranges of north-western of Myanmar (formerly also known as Burma), and is home to around 500,000 Chins. The Chins, one of minority ethnic groups in Myanmar, are the indigenous people of Chin state.

Chin State had been kept in the dark for decades throughout the rule of the Burmese military coup and as a result, about 80% of the Chin people are still living below the poverty line and harshly struggling for their survival every single day. People in Chin State are dying untimely due to poverty, poor healthcare, lack of medicines, lack of access to treatment and education, and bad communication roads.

From the last few decades, the Chins were continually facing famine and struggling to survive as farms no longer produce adequate food for them due to climate change, soil exhaustion and the lack of viable farmland. The Chin people rely on rotational, slash-and-burn farming for livelihood. Yet, no funds or aids provided by the government had not much seen for the Chin people, thus they are continually striving for their survivals.

Myanmar is one of the least developed countries in the world and the Chin state is the poorest region in the country due to a variety of political reasons. As located in a very remoted area and isolated by the government for decades, Chin state has few infrastructures, natural resources and other economic opportunities. Due to the lack of systematic government supports, most of villages in Chin state have no electricity, gas or proper water system and reliable communication system.

Because of poor communication and little access to healthcare or medical facilities, many people die on their way to hospitals in the main cities, including mothers in labour. In addition, many infants and children die from malnutrition and lack of medical supplies.

Up until a few years ago since 1962, Myanmar had been under the reign of the military regime and among many other groups, the country has also seen a huge number of Chin ethnic minority fleeing to other countries in seeking refuge and international protection ever since. The Chin people, a Christian and ethnic minority were ill-treated and discriminated against their identity, ethnicity and beliefs or faith, and forced to live in terrible conditions.

After suffering mistreatments and discriminations for ages at the hands of successive military regime, thousands of the Chin people had fled to the neighbouring countries such as India, Bangladesh Thailand and Malaysia and other countries to escape political suppression, forced labour, religious persecution and other forms of human rights violations by the Burmese soldiers. Even now, sadly the Chin people are still facing internally displacement and fleeing their homes due to the civil unrest as the conflicts between the Burmese Army and ethnic armed groups constantly continue in Chin State.

What Our Say