Fractures Deepen Among Chin Resistance Groups

Photo – AFP

This Stakeholder Tracker No. 1 (English Version) was published on July 24, 2025, as a translation of the original Burmese version published on July 23, 2025.

▪️Period

July 2025

▪️Stakeholders

Chin Resistance Groups, including those operating under the Chinland Council (CC) and Chin Brotherhood (CB)

▪️Issues/activity

On July 5, 2025, the Chin National Organization/Chin National Defense Force (CNO/CNDF) launched an assault on Rihkhawdar, a town controlled and administered by the Chin National Front/Chin National Army (CNF/CNA) and the Chinland Defense Force–Hualngoram (CDF-Hualngoram). In response, the CDF-Hualngoram’s ally—the CNF/CNA—briefly seized CNO/CNDF’s headquarters and then withdrew. This clash marked at least the eighth confrontation among Chin factions in the past year.

▪️Status/trends

Chin State is home to over 20 armed groups, including the CNF/CNA. Until 2023, these groups operated under the Chinland Joint Defense Committee (CJDC), a unified military alliance. However, political and ethnic divisions in 2024 led to the fragmentation of that alliance, resulting in the emergence of two competing blocs: the Chinland Council (CC) and the Chin Brotherhood (CB). Some Chin resistance groups also operate separately without joining any bloc. Chin resistance groups collectively exert control over roughly 80 percent¹ of Chin state.

▪️Implications

Territorial disputes have evolved into hostilities as rival factions engage in a process of mutual delegitimization. For Chin armed groups, this could exacerbate resource scarcity, threatening to derail any attempt to establish collective goals for the Chin.

▪️Relevance

Myanmar now faces rising intra-ethnic tensions in addition to inter-ethnic tensions, with Chin State’s conflicts spotlighting the issue. These disputes compound existing challenges, demanding serious attention in future military and political negotiations.

Footnote

1. Data as of July 18, 2025. This finding, part of ISP-Myanmar’s Conflict, Peace, and Security Studies, is based on ISP-Myanmar’s research and may differ from other sources due to differences in methodology and data availability. ↩︎