A General Administration Department (GAD) officer in Chin State’s Falam Township has requested that the Mizoram state government in India return eight policemen to Myanmar after they sought refuge across the border following the February 1 military coup. The Chin State police officers joined the nationwide Civil Disobedience Movement in Burma, refusing to work for the new regime. They crossed the border to neighboring Mizoram state in India to avoid repercussions by security forces and the ruling military council for participating in the ongoing general strike. Saw Tun Win, the GAD officer in Falam, sent an official request to the…
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Kyaw Nyein, who served as the Minister of Forestry and Mining under the Thein Sein regime, has accepted a position within the Chin State Administration Council under the current military junta. He said that he took on the role because of the issues facing Paletwa Township, where he lives, and will reportedly work on issues including forestry, agriculture, education, health, electricity access, and tourism. “Paletwa is affected by COVID-10, armed clashes, and now a political crisis. There are many IDPs [internally displaced persons] in the Paletwa area,” he told Khonumthung News. “Because of these issues, I accepted this job for…
A cremation service for an eighteen-year-old protester shot by security forces was held at 3 pm today in Kalay, Sagaing Region. Maung Zin Myo Maung was shot in the chest after live rounds and teargas were fired at a demonstration where four people were shot this Tuesday. The teenager is the first person from Kalay killed by security forces. Maung Zin Myo Maung was sent to the hospital in Mandalay but he died on the way on March 3. His body was sent to Kalay yesterday evening. Since the crackdown against the protest movement in Burma started last month more…
During a demonstration in Hakha, security forces arrested twenty-three people, including a journalist, after using water cannons and tear gas on the peaceful protest in the Chin State capital on March 1. According to locals, police attempted to arrest protesters who were hiding inside a private residence and confiscated people’s motorcycles. “The military government must stop using violence against peaceful protesters,” said Salai Sang Hnin Lian, from Chin Human Rights Organization (CHO). “They have abused their power.” After the arrests, CHO sent detainees blankets and food. The following day police released nineteen people. According to a man who requested anonymity,…
The junta released five lawmakers in Chin State from a military detention facility, who were arrested after staging a coup a month ago, but kept the chief minister and others. The ministers released on February 27, in the morning, have been placed under house arrest. Pau Lum Ming Thang, Health and Social Affairs minister, told Khonumthung News, they aren’t allowed to make phone calls while being detained at their private residences. He doesn’t think anything will happen to them as long as they stay in their homes. The other lawmakers are Soe Htet, minister for Municipal, Electricity and Industry, Zo…
Nearly two-thirds of the civil servants in Chin State’s capital, Hakha, have joined the Civil Disobedience Movement (CDM) against the military regime. According to a woman who requested anonymity, 1,928 of the 3,000 staff employed in Hakha walked off the job. The source, who volunteers for the CDM Supporting Team, told Khonumthung News she expects over 500 government employees to join the movement soon. So far, 427 health workers, 458 teachers and office staff employed in the educational sector, as well as others, joined the campaign. Despite some of them facing pressure from their bosses to return to their posts,…
Nearly 200 government employees in Chin State were suspended for joining the Civil Disobedience Movement. The military is trying to break up the movement after civil servants refused to work until the junta steps down, according to Mai Thinn Yu Mon, a Chin human rights activist. Despite facing pressure to return to their posts, she predicts they’ll keep fighting until the military regime is forced out. The movement was started by health workers across the country who refused to work after the military staged a coup about three weeks ago. Many civil servants have joined the campaign. In Chin State,…
Chin National Front (CNF) vowed to stand with the people who have joined the Civil Disobedience Movement against the military government. During the 73rd Chin National Day, CNF issued a statement that said it’s very proud of Chin people in Burma and abroad for resisting the military coup during protests and the historical general strike. The military government is turning the country “backward”, Salai Htet Ni, CNF spokesperson, told Khonumthung News. “Civil servants and others don’t accept this and it’s why they’re protesting against the military government in many different ways.” CNF’s statement said it’s time for the Chin people…
Dr Sasa was chosen as special envoy to UN by Committee Representing Pyidaungsu Hluttaw, established by lawmakers several days after the military regime staged a coup. “People will never lose to injustice. Freedom, justice, democracy and federalism will forever prevail,” the philanthropist and doctor wrote on his Facebook page. Sasa was appointed as the special envoy on February 22. After studying medicine in Armenia, he founded the Health and Hope Foundation, which trains villagers in Chin State as community health workers. During the 2020 race, Sasa played a leading role in the National League for Democracy’s election campaign in the…
Civilians displaced by conflict in southern Chin State, who haven’t received any food rations since the military coup happened three weeks ago, are sleeping on the ground after their huts collapsed. “We want to build new shelters because we can’t return to our village. If the rain comes we have nowhere to hide,” said a resident from an internally displaced persons (IDPs) camp in Sami town. “At this time, there aren’t any donors or organizations coming to help us. We don’t have a regular income living in the IDP camp so it’s really difficult.” One-hundred and sixty homes collapsed after…