Salai Yaw Man, the former Chin Brotherhood spokesperson, told DVB that he’s now a part of the newly-formed Chin People’s Army (CPA), which announced its formation after the unification of four Chin Defense Force (CDF) units in southern Chin State on Jan. 12.
“We will be more united and consolidated regarding trade, administration and command changes. It will become more integrated. In decision-making, it will be more effective and coherent,” said Salai Yaw Man, the new spokesperson for the CPA and its political wing; the Chin People’s Union (CPU).
The CPA, which consists of the CDF–Mindat, CDF–Matupi, CDF–Kanpetlet, and CDF–Daai, stated that it will continue to oppose military rule in Myanmar and work with other ethnic nationalities to establish a federal democratic union that guarantees self-determination for all Chin peoples.
The CPA will coordinate militarily with the Chin Brotherhood, the armed wing of the Interim Chin National Consultative Council (ICNCC), which is a civilian-led political body established after the 2021 military coup.
The Chin Brotherhood includes the Zomi Federal Union and its armed wing, the People’s Defense Force–Zoland; the Chin National Organization and its Chin National Defense Force; as well as the Mara Territorial Council and its armed wing, the Maraland Defense Force.
“We are still coordinating with other Chin Brotherhood [armed group] members. The next step is to unify [them into the CPA]. The goal is one command and one army,” Salai Yaw Man told DVB.
Besides the Chin Brotherhood, the only other faction of the Chin resistance is the Chinland Council, which is led by the Chin National Army (CNA). Its political wing is the Chin National Front (CNF), which withdrew from the ICNCC in late 2023 due to internal disputes.
The CNA/CNF was established in 1988 to seek autonomy for the Chin ethnic nationality, and was a 2015 signatory to the Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement (NCA) with the military, but it scrapped the NCA and returned to fighting the military after the coup on Feb. 1, 2021.
The two factions of the Chin resistance have since engaged in unification talks, although no formal progress has been announced publicly since Feb. 26, 2025.
Salai Yaw Man said that coordination between the CPU and the Chinland Council will take place via the ICNCC, now that the CPU is an ICNCC member.
“Although the administrative structures are separate, CPA operates alongside [the Chinland Council armed wing] the CNA in fighting against the common enemy, which is the military regime,” he said.
The CNA has been fighting against regime forces in Falam Township, located 71 miles (144 km) north of the Chin State capital Hakha since the military launched a counteroffensive to take back the town from resistance forces, which includes the CDF turned CPA, in October.
It also seized control of Kanpetlet, Mindat, and Matupi townships in June and December 2024.
Paletwa Township was seized by the Arakan Army (AA) in January 2024. These townships are located 171–286 miles (275–461 km) south of Hakha.
Tonzang township, located 65 miles (105 km) north of Hakha, and parts of Thantlang Township, located 22 miles (35 km) west of Hakha, were seized by Chinland Council forces, which includes the CNA, in August 2023 and May 2024.
Urban areas of Hakha, Thantlang, and Tedim, located 117 miles (188 km) north of Hakha, remain under regime control. Chin State has a total of nine townships.
Chin resistance groups told DVB in 2024 that they control about 90 percent of the mountainous state located along the Myanmar-India border, where fighting with regime forces have prevented polls in the 2025–26 elections from being held in seven townships.
