Myanmar Spring Chronicle – March 13 Overview
MoeMaKa, March 14, 2025
Military Council Responds to Discussions on Chin State’s Integration with Mizoram and the Reclamation of Kabaw Valley
Last week, an Indian legislator from Mizoram publicly stated that Chin State, sharing ethnic, linguistic, and cultural ties with Mizoram, should integrate with the state. A few days later, a legislator from Manipur also raised the issue of Kabaw Valley, a region within Myanmar’s Tamu Township, asserting that it was gifted to Myanmar after India’s independence and should either be reclaimed or Myanmar should pay an annual lease fee for the land.
In response, Brigadier General Zaw Min Tun, spokesperson for Myanmar’s military council and deputy minister of information, stated that certain Indian politicians should not act in ways that could damage Myanmar-India relations. He emphasized that India has maintained good relations with Myanmar, and such statements do not reflect the Indian government’s official stance.
The Indian government has maintained diplomatic relations with Myanmar’s military council while avoiding official engagement with opposition groups such as armed resistance forces, the National Unity Government (NUG), and other pro-democracy organizations. The military council is striving to maintain strong ties with India, a major regional power with economic and military influence, while also cooperating with China, particularly regarding armed groups along their shared borders.
The military council perceives these statements by Indian state legislators as a challenge to Myanmar’s sovereignty. Diplomatic efforts may be underway to urge the Indian government to regulate the remarks of its state representatives.
The recent discussions surrounding Chin State’s potential integration with Mizoram and the reclamation of Kabaw Valley stem from Myanmar’s prolonged internal armed conflicts, which have led to an influx of refugees into neighboring countries. The cultural and linguistic similarities between the Chin people and the Mizo community have also fueled these sentiments.
The military council should recognize that the issue is not merely about sovereignty but also about Myanmar’s internal unity. The country’s ongoing conflicts and lack of a genuine federal system have caused concerns over its territorial integrity. If Myanmar fails to resolve its long-standing civil war through political solutions, the idea of integration with neighboring regions may gain traction among affected communities.
NUG Defense Minister Announces Nationwide Offensive Against Military Rule
Another significant development is the announcement by the NUG’s defense minister that a nationwide military offensive will be launched to bring an end to the military regime. This was stated during the graduation ceremony of a military training program under the NUG’s Ministry of Defense.
This declaration raises questions about when and how the offensive will take place, whether the NUG has secured agreements with ethnic armed organizations, and how local resistance groups that are not directly under NUG’s command will coordinate their efforts.
Some ethnic armed groups recently entered ceasefire agreements with the military council through China’s mediation, while others are still in negotiations. This raises uncertainties about whether all resistance forces will unite under the planned offensive.
Additionally, internal territorial and administrative disputes among ethnic armed groups could escalate into direct military confrontations. Given these complexities, it remains unclear whether the NUG’s statement is a direct call to arms or primarily a strategic move for mobilization and morale-building.