Myanmar Spring Chronicle – February 19 Scenes
MoeMaKa, February 20 2023
75th anniversary of Chin National Day and Chin ethnic groups
February 20 is the 75th anniversary of Chin National Day. On February 18 and 19, US time, Chin nationals in the United States and expatriate Myanmar nationals gathered together to celebrate Chin National Day through social media. The early days of the Spring Revolution – When CRPH appointed Dr. Sa Sa as Special Envoy for International Cooperation with the United Nations on February 23, the people cheered and the Tuu Mee of the Chin people was the first symbol of the start of defense.
On April 7, 2021, the Tahan strike camp in Kalay was cracked down. 11 people were killed by the military’s weapons in the town of Kalay. At the same time, 7 people died in Taze. The armed resistance began in Chin State and spread to the people. There were scenes where the people of the spring were preparing to defend themselves by holding Tuu Mee. That is, after the name of the Chin National Front (CNF) began to appear in the news, on April 16, the formation of the NUG government was announced.
There, CRPH appointed the Chin political leader, Salai Lian Hmung Sakhong from CNF, as Union Minister of Federal Union Affairs and a Chin national, Dr. Sa Sa, as the Union Minister of International Cooperation.
It cannot be forgotten that since the beginning of the Spring Revolution, the Chin people’s stance and resistance have been very influential as a source of strength and motivation for other people and ethnic groups. Therefore, for the Chin National Day, which is coming tomorrow, the Acting President of the NUG National Unity Government, Duwa Lashi La, said about the Chinland Defense Forces as follows:.
“Now, almost all areas of Chin State are controlled by the Chin National Front/Chin National Army (CNF/CNA) and the CDF, the Chinland Defense Force led by the CJDC. Therefore, I urge the Chin people to continue to lead the front of the Spring Revolution.”
It can be seen in the speeches that the CNF/CNA force from the early spring developed into a CJDC/CDF force. The CNF is the Chin National Front and was established during the 1988 uprising. Its Chin National Army is fighting as an armed force. During the Spring Revolution, the Chin armed forces that became powerful emerged as the Chinland Defense Forces (CDFs) in various regions. It is said that the CJDC (China Joint Defense Committee) was formed from local CDFs such as CDF-Mindat, CDF-Mara, and CDF-Zatung.
Similarly – among the Chin forces, the Interim Chin National Consultative Council (ICNCC) can be said to be a Chin ethnic political organization that emerged during the Spring Revolution, politically linked to the NUG, NUCC & CRPH. On April 13, 2022, when ICNCC issued its political opinion on the one year anniversary of its inception, it said that it would implement the Chin Covenant and the emergence of a Chin Government. The Chin National Consultative Council consists of the Chin National Front CNF, 2020 elected members of parliament, Chin defense armed forces from various regions, strike representatives, CDM representatives, and women’s representatives who participated in the Spring Revolution.
According to the announcements made on the Chin National Day, the role of the Chin State revolutionary forces, who were at the forefront of the spring revolution, is very important. The Acting President reiterated that it is necessary for the Chin people to continue to participate in the overthrow of the military dictatorship and the building of a new federal union in the future. At the same time, the ICNCC announced that once the military dictatorship ends and the Chin territories are freed, they must firmly build the Chin State.
The NLD government’s vice-president Henry Van Thio, a Chin ethnic, is still detained by the military council. It was said that he was unable to attend the NDSC meeting led by Min Aung Hlaing in January 2023 because he slipped at home. We must continue to see whether Chin ethnic parties and groups will emerge that will continue to be registered under the military council.