Residents of Chan Pyan have nothing to return to after Infantry Battalion 304 troops, under the State Administration Council, briefly occupied their village and deliberately torched almost all of their homes in retaliation after a Chin armed group ambushed them in Matupi Township.
“The enemy has retreated to Matupi town, but the civilians are still hiding in the jungle,” a Matupi Chinland Defense Force (CDF) soldier explained. Out of 63 homes occupied by the 100 residents, he said that only 9 are still standing in the village, located about 7 miles from the town.
Some of the displaced villagers are staying at Har Tue, which is 4 miles from Chan Pyan.
Last week, the CDF launched a landmine attack on about 200 soldiers on the Matupi–Mindat road, injuring at least 6 of their soldiers. Following this, 100 SAC soldiers attacked Chan Pyan in the area.
A local man in contact with the villagers said that living in the jungle is hard for them, but they have no choice after the regime destroyed their homes.