Organized by: TheHILLS Myanmar (THM) & Chin State Academic Research Network (CSARN), with support from Chin Human Rights Organisation (CHRO)

Friday, 14 November 2025, 3:00 – 5:00 PM
Subaltern Room, Chiang Mai University

This report launch event presents the first study to examine how conflict, gender, and cultural expectations intersect to shape mental health in Myanmar’s Chin State. Conducted during an active civil war through trauma-informed and participatory methods, the research draws on focus group discussions, key informant interviews, and body-mapping exercises across four townships. The findings reveal widespread distress, gendered silences, and faith-based understandings of suffering that both sustain and constrain healing. They also show how women, LGBTQIA+ people, displaced families, and persons with disabilities experience layered forms of exclusion amid political violence and poverty. The Chin State Academic Research Network (CSARN), an initiative of TheHILLS Myanmar, embodies a model of community-rooted research built on trust, local languages, and mentorship. Working through embedded local-global networks and partnerships, CSARN connects emerging Chin researchers with experienced mentors and institutions, acting as an interdisciplinary platform that supports and connects researchers engaged in the region, and promotes the exchange of high-quality, context-relevant knowledge. This study offers not only an urgent call for localized mental health interventions, but also a reflection on what it means to build knowledge, solidarity, and care from within conflict-affected communities.

Speakers

1. THM CSARN Senior Adviser – Sena Galazzi
2. Dr. Lian Report co-author, formerly Technical Consultant, TheHILLS Myanmar
3. Lily Report co-author, formerly Technical Consultant, TheHILLS Myanmar
4. Thawn N. Lian, Executive Director, TheHILLS Myanmar
5. Dr. Sang, MHPSS Specialist, Chin Human Rights Organisation
6. Dr. Matthew Yoxall, Board of Directors, TheHILLS Myanmar
7. Dr. Mary, Research Manager, TheHILLS Myanmar