The Zomi Federal Union (ZFU) issued a statement on Tuesday asserting that it would not recognize any claims from the regime in Naypyidaw nor the Chinland Council, led by the Chin National Army (CNA), to Tedim Township of northern Chinland. Tedim is located 117 miles north (188 km) of the state capital Hakha.
“The CNA is attempting to use [its allied resistance force] as a proxy to interfere and seize Tedim. The actions of the CNA and their affiliates clearly show no consideration for public interest and only seek to exploit our land for profit and political advantage,” stated the ZFU, which is the political wing of the People’s Defence Force-Zoland (PDF-Zoland).
Tedim is home to the Zomi ethnic nationality, which is a collective identity given to the Kuki-Chin living in communities across northern Burma and across the border in neighbouring India. The township is currently under military regime control.
The ZFU added that it was committed to working with the Interim Chin National Consultative Council (ICNCC) and its armed ethnic group, the Chin Brotherhood, to remove any invading force from Tedim. It claimed that it had planned to capture the town from the military in cooperation with its allied resistance forces in the Chin Brotherhood.
This statement came shortly after the Chin National Front (CNF), the political wing of the CNA and a founding member of the Chinland Council, announced its allied resistance group in Tedim, known as the People’s Defense Army (PDA-Tedim), would launch an offensive against regime troops stationed in Tedim.
“No organization has the right to object [to our military offensive] as we are going to capture our own town, and we invite any resistance groups to join,” the political wing of the PDA-Tedim, known as the Tedim Township Council, stated on Jan. 14.
Four main resistance groups operate in Tedim: PDA-Tedim, Chinland Defence Force-Civic Defence Militia–Siyin (CDF-CDM Siyin), Chinland Defence Force-Hualngoram (CDF-Hualngoram) and the People’s Defense Force-Zoland (PDF-Zoland).
While PDF-Zoland aligns with the Chin Brotherhood, the other three are members of the Chinland Council. In early 2024, the Chinland Council was established by Chin resistance groups as an interim administration similar to the Interim Executive Council (IEC) in Karenni State.
This was an attempt by the CNF to unify resistance groups under a single administrative body in Chinland. But, the Chinland Council’s formation was met with disdain from other Chin groups, including the ZFU.
In December 2023, the ZFU and allied resistance groups formed the Chin Brotherhood in opposition to the Chinland Council. Tensions between the Chinland Council and Chin Brotherhood escalated into armed conflict in Matupi Township of southern Chinland on June 18.
This led to peace negotiations between the two factions of the Chin resistance in India last September. At a press conference on Dec. 23, the Chin Brotherhood spokesperson Salai Yaw Mang claimed that resistance forces have seized control of over 80 percent of Chinland from the military. He added that the Arakan Army (AA) is supporting the Chin Brotherhood militarily.
Thirteen townships across Chinland and the Myanmar-India border town of Rihkhawdar are under Chin resistance control. Southern Chinland’s Paletwa Township, 199 miles (321 km) south of Hakha, came under AA control last January. The military controls Hakha and Tedim, as well as Thantlang, located 22 miles (35 km) west of Hakha, and Falam, located 122 miles (196 km) north of Hakha.