The Arakan Army (AA) has released a policeman and a village administrator taken into their custody on February 22. Police officer Salai Beever and local administrator Char Haw were allowed to return to their village of Than Htaung in Paletwa Township on Friday. “Two pastors picked them up. They arrived at the village at around 5:00 p.m.,” a community elder told Khonumthung News. Last week, the elder said that the AA had instructed residents of Than Htaung to send representatives to pick up the detainees, who were held by the armed group for a week, following an attack on a…
Author: Editor
As part of an initiative to improve communications for southern Chin State, the Union government has announced plans to build nine cellular towers in Kanpetlet township. Within the first three months of this year, nineteen mobile communication stations are planned with funds provided by cellular providers, said Thar Oo, deputy minister for Chin State Transportation and Communication in Chin State. There are several obstacles for implementing the mobile stations in the countryside, the deputy minister said. Roadways are poor and steep mountain ranges will make the construction difficult. In some areas, there isn’t electricity. Education, health care, economic and social…
Constituents of Mindat township wanting to know why the NLD forced Chin State vice-chairman to resign sent an open letter demanding answers. Ten civil society organizations signed the letter sent to Zaw Myint Maung, chairperson of the NLD, and Zobwi, chairperson for Chin State Parliament. Zaw Myint Maung told Aung Than to resign from his post by February 23 in a letter and warned if he didn’t voluntarily leave, he would be forced out of parliament. “If the request for his resignation was related to a failure to perform his duties as an MP we will condone it. But if…
The Arakan Army (AA) said it would release a policeman and village headman abducted during a raid by the armed group. AA forces attacked a police camp in Paletwa township in Chin State on February 22, kidnapping the police officer, Salai Beever, and Char Haw, a village administrator. An elder from Than Htaung village, where the men were abducted, told Khonumthung News the AA instructed them to send representatives to pick up the detainees. “They allowed two people from each village to pick up the detainees. Two pastors already arrived at the meeting place. There haven’t been any new updates…
More than 1,000 people participated in a march in the Sagaing Region town of Kalay on Monday supporting calls to amend Burma’s military-drafted 2008 Constitution. Those present—including National League for Democracy (NLD) party members, 88 Generation leaders, civil society representatives and other members of the public—walked from Shwe Bontha Pagoda to a statue of late independence icon Gen Aung San. According to U Ba Min, the chairperson of the ruling NLD in Kalay District, the charter must be changed in order to “build a secure and developed nation with a better future.” “It’s a good time to amend the 2008…
Enforcing a rule that ethnic groups must remain in the Union goes against the Panglong Agreement, said Pu Zin Cung, the chairman for the Chin National Front (CNF). Ethnic groups worked with the central government to form the Union of Burma after the Panglong Conference in 1947 and the right to secede was included, the chairman said during the 71st Chin National Day. “Bamar (Burmese), Shan, Kachin and Chin signed the Union agreement knowing they had these rights. Now, no-one can block these original rights to be able to secede.” The peace process faced a deadlock in the second round…
To build a genuine democratic federal union that will allow self-determination for ethnic people, U Lal Thuan Thang,Chin Affairs Minister for Sagaing region, called for the amendment of Myanmar’s 2008 Constitution. People’s participation was vital for achieving this, the minister said during a speech at the 71st Chin National Day in Kalay. “We have to cooperate to amend the 2008 constitution for political equality and building a modern democratic federal union for the future for all ethnic people.” Attempts to amend it in parliament by the ruling NLD party, led by Nobel Peace Prize laureate Aung San Suu Kyi, are…
NLD Party Headquarters instructed U Aung Than, vice-chairman of Chin State Parliament, to resign from his post. U Zobawi, parliament chairman for Chin State, confirmed the information with Khonumthung News but said there weren’t more details at press time. Dr Hmu Thang, MP for Thangtlang township constituency, said Zobawi discussed it in a recent state-level parliamentarian meeting. “We are so surprised to hear about it. U Aung Thang didn’t attend the meeting because he took leave,” Hmu Thang said. According to various sources close to the NLD, it’s unclear why the party told U Aung Than to resign, causing speculation…
The Hakha-based Community Care for Emergency Response and Rehabilitation (CCERR) has announced it will provide assistance to internally displaced people (IDPs) in Paletwa Township who have fled clashes between the Burma Army and the Arakan Army (AA). Funds have been collected through private donations, CCERR representatives said, adding that they will continue to solicit contributions from religious organizations, civil society organizations and individuals throughout Chin State. All the aid will be transferred in March. “We have a responsibility to help our ethnic brothers and sisters as much as we can. When they face troubles, we must help them. Currently, we…
A secretary in the Chin National Front (CNF) has said that intensified fighting between the Burmese military and the Arakan Army (AA) could be resolved through engagement with the government-led peace process. As armed conflict continues in southern Chin State’s Paletwa Township, the CNF’s Secretary (3) Pu Htet Nee cited the CNF’s path in signing the controversial Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement (NCA) as an example for the AA. The CNF is one of 10 ethnic armed organizations to sign the accord with the government and army. “Clashes should be resolved on the grounds of the NCA. The CNF is walking on…