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, civil servants released a statement vowing not to return to work until the civilian government is restored.
In Tedim town, 258 workers among 1,254 employed by the government are participating in the CDM.
According to a unnamed youth from the support team, 216 are health workers who are being pressured by senior staff to go back to work. The head of the Tedim Public Hospital threatened to revoke their salary if they refuse to return to their positions.
Almost 200 General Administrative Department staff in Chin State have been suspended for joining the campaign.
At the same time people are donating money to help civil servants who are no longer generating an income. The Chin Baptist Church in the US contributed $100,000 to the protest movement in Chin State.
The CDM was started by health workers across the country several days after the coup.