Over seventy-percent of government servants in Chin State joined the Civil Disobedience Movement (CDM). Health workers across the country started the movement two days after the coup, and many wore red ribbons in defiance of the military regime or walked off the job.
The movement in Chin State is growing despite pressure by senior staff for civil servants to return to work. More than 14,591 of 20,000 staff in Chin State joined the CDM .
Hwi Tin, an MP for Paletwa Township, told Khonumthung News staff from the health, educational department and social welfare departments are taking part. However, others are reluctant to lose their salaries in the region that’s faced years of economic instability caused by fighting between Burma Army and Arakan Army. Additionally, authorities are collecting the names of those joining the CDM, which is sowing fear in the community.
To help absorb the loss of income for those who walked off the job, CDM support committees are providing financial assistance to workers in townships throughout the state. Donations to help them are being collected in Burma and abroad.
In Paletwa Township, 146 joined the CDM. While in the other townships in Chin State, 700 joined in Kanpetlet, more than 1,400 in Thangtlang, 2,954 in Hakha, more than 2,700 in Mindat, 230 in Tedim, 774 in Tongzan, 1,980 in Falam and 1,630 in Matupi.
Meanwhile, the Committee Representing Chin Hluttaw (CRCH) announced on March 9 that People’s Administration Committees (PAC) have been started in 8 of 9 townships in Chin State.
Hong Nai, MP for Mindat Township and CRCH member, told Khonumthung News that Paletwa Township is the only one without a PAC committee, but he couldn’t explain why.
The committee, which are made up of elders, politicians, government staff and others who joined the CDM, will work directly with village and ward committees to help maintain security and stability until democracy can be restored. To solve disputes, the committees will rely on traditional governance systems.
PACs are established in Mindat, Kanpetlet, Matupi, Falam, Thangtlang, Tongzan, Tedim and Hakha townships.