By Peter (Chin Political and Revolutionary Observer), peterjune20@gmail.com
The Young Lai Association (YLA) has recently not only blocked the Indo-Myanmar National Highway, which was a component of India’s Act Policy, and Kalatan- Multi Projects but also pushed out all the Arakanesses who are residing in Lawngtlai District, Mizoram, from June 24, 2024. It is drastically leading to the conflicts between two Indian tribal groups from Lawngtlai District and Siaha District and beyond.
While the People of Myanmar (Chin) were very happy and grateful to the people of Mizoram for accepting Myanmar refugees, and supporting Myanmar’s revolution directly and indirectly, now the people of Myanmar (Chin) concerned that the road blockages to the Rakhine State will bring signicant negative impacts on Myanmar’s Revolution, especially on Arkan Army (AA), and its alliances. Some people pointed out that the blockage the logistic support, and the flow of essential goods to the Rakhine State and the Arkan Army is act of supporting the Myanmar military junta. This article will explore why the Young Lai Association (YLA) blocks the roads and what the impacts are.
Background Information of the Chin Armed Groups Conflicts, and involvment of Arkan Army (AA)
Firstly, we need to understand the political and revolutionary situation in Chin (Myanmar) before understanding this current issue. In December 2024, Chin Armed Groups were split into two fractions: Chinland Council (CC) led by the Chin National Front (CNF), and Chin Brotherhood (CB) consisting of 3 armed groups (Chin National Defense Force-CNDF, Zoland-PDF, and CDF-Mindat), and later joined by the Maraland Defense Force-MDF, CDF-Kanpalet, and Matupi-CDF (Bridgade-1).
The main argument of the Chin Brotherhood (CB) for not joining the Chinaland Council was that the Chinland Council (CC) was overly dominated by the Chin National Front (CNF), and the demand for more inclusive and equal representation was rejected by the Chin National Front (CNF). Although it highly was expected that Chin Armed Groups would come to negotiation tables and resolve their differences, the result was quite opposite. Then, the Chin Brotherhood started thinking that there was no change of finding a political solution in the current situation with the Chinland council and Chin National Front (CNF). Thus, it moved towards making alliances with the Arkan Army (AA) to get military support, defense itself from the threat of Chinland Council (CC), and to break the military camps in their areas.
The Chin Brotherhood (CB) brought the Arakan Army (AA) into Chinland into their areas, to conduct joint operations against the military junta. Firstly, with the support of the Arakan Army (AA), the Chin Brotherhood captured the Jin Dwe Camp in Kanpalet, followed by the Matupi Township-based military camp recently, one of the biggest military camps in the southern part of Chin State. The Chin Brotherhood turned into 6 months in June, 2024, and within 6 months, they achieved two big victories capturing the Jin Dwe Camp, and Matupi Camp. As results, the Chin Brotherhood gains good reputation in pulic and social media, and grow power more than expected by the Chinland Council in very short period.
The Chinland Council (CC) and the Chin National Front (CNF) continuously started accusing the Chin Brotherhood of working against the Chin National Interests by making an alliance with the Arakan Army (AA), and bringing AA into Chinland. The Chinland Council (CC) supporters called the Chinbrotherhoods as puppets of Arkan Army (AA), and the Chinbrotherhood supporters also called CC members as the puppets of Chin National Front (CNF). CC lobbiysts, and CC supported Chin media even accused that the Matupi Operation was conducted by the Arakan Army, not by the Chin Brotherhood. The conflicts between the Chinland Council and the Chinbrotherhood grows significantly during the Matupi Operation.
With the split of chin armed groups into two, the Chinland Defence Force-Chinland Defense Force-Matupi was also splited into two as Brigade 1 with the support of Chin Brotherhood, and the Brigade 2 with the support of Chin National Front. They both claimed the Matupi military camps were within their territories, however, the detail disscusion among the CDF-Matupi leaders before their split about their territories division was unknown to the public clearly. A matter of fact was that the Matupi operation was conducted first by the Chin Brotherhood and its alliances (Arakan Army, Yaw Army, Yaw Defense Force), and the Chinland Council Armies also started claming they will also conduct the operation in Matupi.
Chin Brotherhood (CB) supporters accused that the CC armies and CNF had no intention to conduct operation in Matupi, it was just to distburb CB operation and nervous that CB will gain significant reputation if the camp was captured, and their territorial controls and legitimacy will increase.
As result, there was a clash between the Chin National Army (CNA) and the Chin Brotherhood (CB) Army, and one of the second lieutenant general, Lal Bik Thang and 4 soldiers of the Chin National Army was killed. The CC strongly accaused that it was AA who killed five Chin National Army. Both Sides accused each other. The Chinland Council and CNF accused the Chin Brotherhood of bringing the Arakan Army into Chinland and the Arkan Army (AA) of coming and interfering in Chin Family affairs.On the other side, the Chin Brotherhood accused the Chinland Council (CC) and Chin National Fronts of interfering with the CB’s Operation and cooperating with the military junta by giving the junta the coordnation and location information of the Chin Brotherhood so that the military can fire artilleries ,air crafts, and missiles to the Chin Brotherhood locations.
Knowing they cannot face the Chin Brotherhood and the Arakan Army (AA) militarily, the Chinland Council (CC), Chin National Front (CNF), and their supporters started changing the game. They started agitating the Young Lai Association (YLA) to block the road from Mizoram to the Rakhine State via Paletwa.
As result, the YLA directly involves in cooperation with the Chinland Council and CNF. It is a fact that the CNF was accausedly dominted by the Lai tribal groups as the key leaders of CNF was from Lai Tribes. Thus, there was strong connection with the Chin National Fronts (CNF), and the Lai tribal groups who live in Lai Autonomous District Council (LADC).
Involvment of Young Lai Association (YLA), and Blockage of Roads from Mizoram to Rakhine State
The Young Lai Association (YLA) is the youth group of the Lai tribe: one of the three autonomous district councils in Mizoram States in Mizoram: Mara Autonomous District Councils (MADC), Lai Autonomous District Counci (LADC), and Chakma Autonomous District Council (CADC). Lai is the tribal group which was bifercated into Myanmar Lai and Indian Lai like many of tribals including Mara. Myanmar Lai mostly lives in Hakha and Thangtlang District in Chin State, Myanmar, and Indian Lai lives in Lawngtlai District, Mizoram. The critics criticized that Chin National Front (CNF) was Lai (Hakha and Thangtlang) dominated armed groups as they speak lai language, and most of their leaders comes from Hakha and Thangtlang. Therefore, there was a strong a connection between the CNF and the YLA since earlier.
With the agitation of Chin National Fronts (CNF) and their supporters, the Young Lai Association (YLA) not only blocks the road, but also drives aways all the arakanese who resides in Lawngtlai District June 24, 2024 within two days. Moreover, it was reportedly said that they sent the complaint letter to the State Government, and the central government with the accusation that the Arakan Army (AA) has committed many human rights violations in Paletwa, Chin State, interfered in the Chin (ZO) National Issues, and supplying petroleum, and arms for oppression against the Paletwa Chin People.
As expectation of arakanese moving to Siaha District from Lawngtlai District, the YLA blocks all the petroleum and diesels to the Siaha District, which led to shortages of oil in Siaha District. As backlash, Mara Youths (Mara Thytlia Py- MTP) released a statement codenmening the YLA, and started planning for organizing the rally in July 3. The conflicts between Chinland Council (CC) led by CNF and the Chin Brotherhood supported by the Arkan Army (AA) spreads into Mizoram State, and leading into the conflicts between two tribal groups: Lai (Lawngtlai District) and Mara (Siaha District). Moreover, this has alert the whole Mizoram, and trigger the minds of Mizo youths, intelligent units, researchers and journalists from mainland India.
It can be said that this is one of the biggest implications of the Myanmar (chin) conflicts in Mizoram people and Mizoram People since 2021 the crisis started in Myanmar. One thing is certain that the Mizoram (India) has to do something regarding the current issues to minimize its implacations on Mizoram, and India.
What Mizoram (India) should and can do?
The truth is that the Mara Youths from the Mara Autonomous District Council (MADC) support the Chin Brotherhood and the Arkan Army (AA), while the Lai Youths from the Lai Autonomous District Council (LADC) support the Chin National Fronts (CNF) and the Chinland Council (CC).
The government (Mizoram or India) must act cautiously in this kind of situation to avoid favoring one district over another. It must result in a position where both Lai and Mara have win-win solutions. In Mizoram, siding with one party while opposing another might exacerbate problems. The second possibility is for Mizoram, India, to place both parties (Siaha and Lawngtlai) in circumstances where they choose not to engage in Chin Conflicts (Myanmar).
Note: The columnist is a young Chin political analyst, and this article is only the author’s mouthpiece. It is not the mouthpiece of Khonumthung Media Group.