The self-declared Chinland Government has launched an initiative to merge the Chin National Army (CNA) and aligned local Chin Defence Force (CDF) factions into a single standing army called the Chinland Government Force (CGF).
Operating directly under the Ministry of Defence, the CGF is designed to professionalize resistance fighters under a “One Command, One Army, One Budget” policy, as mandated by Article 20 of the Chinland Constitution.
“The CDF is not a professional army—there are no fixed salaries or allowances for its combatants,” said Chinland Council Vice Chairman Pu Bawi Kung. He noted that because many CDF fighters hesitated to join the CNA directly, the CGF was created as a unified platform where troops will receive official uniforms, standardized military command, and regular pay, backed by an initial 1-billion-kyat ($238,000) allocation.
Since Myanmar’s 2021 military coup, anti-junta resistance in western Myanmar’s Chin State has operated through fragmented, localized CDF factions, raising concerns over potential warlordism.
The Ministry of Defence currently oversees the CNA alongside 19 distinct CDF groups.
While some factions have delayed joining because of operational hurdles, officials view the CGF as a crucial step toward streamlining military operations and eventually establishing a permanent “Chinland Army.”