Chin Famine Live Aid Concert to Take Place in Malaysia
Six performers from Mizoram, India and Burma arrived in Malaysia yesterday afternoon to participate in the Chin Famine Live Aid Concert to benefit victims of famine and severe food shortages in Chin State, Burma. Chin singers Sung Tin Par, Zam Nu, and Sang Pi, along with Mizoram-based singers, Mimi Lalzamliani and Malsawm Tluangi (SP) are among the singers scheduled to perform on August 31 and September 1 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia’s capital city.
“We are honored to have these talented artists visit us in Malaysia, and we have been preparing for their arrival for quite some time now. We are all looking forward to their performances,” said Paul Rung Er Lian, Director of the Malaysia Concert Organizing Committee.
The concerts in Malaysia follow a successfully held concert in Chiang Mai, Thailand on Wednesday evening, where more than a thousand concert-goers attended events to raise awareness and money about the food crisis currently ravaging parts of Chin State.
A rapid infestation of rats in Chin State starting in 2006 has led to food shortages and economic devastation for an estimated 100,000 people, according to the Chin Human Rights Organization. The World Food Program (WFP) recently indicated that they would be looking into the situation in Chin State. Meanwhile, many victims have already crossed the border from Chin State into India in search of relief. Deaths due to starvation have also been reported.
The proceeds of the Chin Famine Live Aid Concerts will go to support cross-border relief efforts already underway in affected areas of Chin State. “We really appreciate the time and energy donated by these musicians to support this important cause,” said Paul Rung Er Lian.
Chin Christian churches and fellowships are responsible for organizing the concert in Kuala Lumpur. The performers are also scheduled to travel on to Singapore later this week and will be performing in Singapore next weekend.
