The Chin people, originating from the Sino-Tibetan ethnic group, inhabit a critical mountainous region in northwestern Myanmar, adjacent to northeastern India and parts of Bangladesh. Though commonly referred to as a single ethnic group, the Chin are a collective of distinct sub-groups, including the Asho, Cho, Khumi, Kuki, Laimi, Lushai, and Zomi. Each group speaks a unique language from the Tibeto-Burman language family. Historically, the Chin have been mountain dwellers, and today, a significant portion of their population, over 85%, identifies as Christian, particularly in Chin State and Kachin regions. Despite their deep roots in the region, the Chin face immense challenges due to decades of systemic neglect, conflict, and the brutal policies of Myanmar’s military regimes.
The Chin were signatories to the Panglong Agreement of 1947, a critical accord promising a federal structure in the soon-to-be-independent Burma. However, the military coup of 1962 and subsequent authoritarian rule shattered these hopes. The junta centralized power, negating the autonomy promised to ethnic groups like the Chin. This betrayal fueled long-standing grievances and a descent into civil conflict that persists to this day.
The Chin region has been systematically marginalized, receiving little to no infrastructure development. Consequently, Chin State remains the poorest and least developed region in Myanmar. This neglect, combined with oppression, has driven many Chin people to flee the country, with significant diasporas now in India, Malaysia, Australia, and the United States.
Since the 1990s, the Chin have endured consistent persecution by the Myanmar military. Reports from the Chin Human Rights Organization (CHRO) highlight widespread abuses, including forced labor, arbitrary arrests, and torture. Farmers were particularly affected, as forced labor prevented them from tending to their crops, pushing communities into cycles of poverty and debt. Many were left with no choice but to flee, often under harrowing circumstances.
Christian Chin communities have faced targeted religious persecution, including forced evictions, bans on gatherings, and even arson attacks. Despite these challenges, the Chin have displayed remarkable resilience, often mobilizing to protect their cultural and religious identity against systematic attempts at erasure.
The military coup of February 2021 intensified the plight of the Chin people. Young Chin individuals returned to their home regions to join the civilian disobedience movement (CDM), resisting the military dictatorship. Professionals such as teachers, doctors, and civil servants abandoned their government roles to support resistance efforts in Chin State. This resistance has been organized under groups like the Chin Defence Forces (CDF) and the broader People Defence Forces (PDF). Together, these groups strive to maintain autonomous administration and provide essential services to displaced populations.
However, the Myanmar military’s brutal counterinsurgency measures have devastated the Chin State. Relentless airstrikes and artillery bombardments have targeted hospitals, schools, and internally displaced persons (IDP) camps. These attacks have caused widespread casualties and forced entire towns, such as Thantlang, to evacuate. Since September 2021, Thantlang has been reduced to rubble, its 10,000 residents dispersed across surrounding villages and neighboring India. The town, now a battleground, symbolizes the tragic toll of the conflict.
Chin State’s rugged terrain and poor infrastructure compound the humanitarian crisis. With few accessible roads and multiple military checkpoints, delivering aid to resistance-controlled areas is perilous. Supplies of food, medicine, and other essentials are critically low, leaving thousands of displaced people in dire conditions. The Myanmar military’s deliberate targeting of aid convoys and infrastructure further exacerbates the suffering.
The plight of the Chin people is emblematic of the broader crisis facing Myanmar’s ethnic minorities under military rule. Systematic oppression, compounded by relentless conflict and displacement, has left the Chin people struggling to preserve their identity and livelihoods. Despite this, their resistance exemplifies resilience and hope in the face of unimaginable hardship. Addressing their suffering requires concerted international efforts to provide humanitarian aid and advocate for a political resolution that upholds the autonomy and rights promised to them decades ago.
70 years old grandmother of the Thluang Bik family in Saopun village in Thantlang township. Chin State, Myanmar, April 2024
Women new recruits for the Chin National Army (CNA) doing physical exercises during their training before integrating supporting functions within the CNA. Camp Victoria in Chin State, Myanmar, April 2024
Chin Defense Forces (CDF) outpost in Thantlang. Vui Chip CDF outpost, Thantlang, Myanmar, April 2024
New recruits for the Chin National Army (CNA) doing physical exercises during their lenghty training before integrating the CNA. The ever increasing air strikes and forced military service enacted by the military dictatorship, has substantially increased the number of people that engage and seek refuge with the ethnic armed groups opposing the military coup leaders. CNA HQ, Camp Victoria in Chin State, Myanmar, April 2024
Inpatient ward of the Chin National Army (CNA) military hospital. Civilians and soldiers are being treated in what is now the largest operational hospital in Chin controlled territory. Camp Victoria in Chinlung, Chin State, Myanmar, April 2024
Member of the Chin National Army, Camp Victoria, Chin State, Myanmar, April 2024
Patients waiting at the outpatient ward of a military hospital in Chin State. Beside combatants of the Chin National Army, many civilians are being treated at the hospital. Being one of few functioning hospital in Chin State, people do often travel 2-3 days before reaching it. Chinlung in Chin State, Myanmar, April 2024
Chin boy living in a camp for internally displaced persons from Chin. Salen IDP camp, Thantlang township, Myanmar, April 2024
Chin National Army (CNA) recruits starting their training before they will integrate their units. CNA HQ Camp Victoria, Chin State, Myanmar, April 2024
Chin village of Salen in Chin State, Myanmar, April 2024
Pamsang, 29 years, is from Matupi in Chin State in Myanmar and was a civilian victim of an airstrike on her house. The military dictatorship carried out airstrikes on 15 November 2023 in Wanglu village near Matupi. Her 3 children, husband and bother in law died instantly. That day 11 people died in the village, mainly young children. She was treated for severe head and leg wounds in hospitals in Mindat and Mandalay before making her way to Aizawl in India for further surgery. Now in New Delhi for eye surgery as she is totally blind since the airstrike. Her right eye is lost and a marginal sight recovery on the left eye has occured since the eye surgery. The military regime in Myanmar has systematically used air strikes on civilian populations, schools and medical facilities without any military goal except traumatising the population and committing relentless unpunished war crimes. Chin community safe house in New Delhi, India, May 2024
Chin National Army (CNA) trainees. CNA HQ, Chin State, Myanmar, April 2024
CNA new recruits undergoing military training. The recruits under 18, often orphans, will after their training be assigned to non-combat function within the HQ and continue learning a specialisation until the age of 18. Chin National Army HQ, Chinlung in Chin State, Myanmar, April 2024
Hrankhan IDP camp for displaced people from Thantlang town. Hrankhan village in Thantlang township, Chin State, Myanmar, April 2024
Kyaw Mu Aung, 25 years, is a member of the People Defense Forces from Mandalay. During a resistance operation in Magway State he was injured by multiple shrapnel. His injuries have blinded him on both eyes. He stays in a Chin safehouse in Aizawl hoping to have eye surgery and maybe partly recover eye sight. Before the military coup he had a bike repair shop. Chin National Army (CNA) safehouse in Aizawl, Mizoram, India, April 2024.
New recruits for the Chin National Army (CNA) doing physical exercises during their lenghty training before integrating the CNA. The ever increasing air strikes and forced military service enacted by the military dictatorship, has substantially increased the number of people that engage and seek refuge with the ethnic armed groups opposing the military coup leaders. CNA HQ, Camp Victoria in Chin State, Myanmar, April 2024
Women new recruits for the Chin National Army (CNA) undergoing a lenghty training before integrating supporting functions within the CNA. Camp Victoria in Chin State, Myanmar, April 2024
Tham Nay and Shing Om (in the background), are both 19 years old and from Mindat in Chin State of Myanmar. Both were since the start of the revolution engaged with the resistance forces in Chin and Magway regions. In October 2023 they stepped on a mine and had their right lig amputated. It took nearly 2 weeks to have them evacuated towards a proper hospital in India. They are now in New Delhi where they have entered a program to receive a prothesis, soon they will return to Myanmar and continue to support the revolution albeit in another role than as combatants. Chin community safehouse in New Delhi, India, April 2024
New recruits for the Chin National Army (CNA) doing physical exercises during their lenghty training before integrating the CNA. The ever increasing air strikes and forced military service enacted by the military dictatorship, has substantially increased the number of people that engage and seek refuge with the ethnic armed groups opposing the military coup leaders. CNA HQ, Camp Victoria in Chin State, Myanmar, April 2024
Production of uniforms for the Chin National Army (CNA). CNA HQ, Camp Victoria, Chin State, Myanmar, April 2024
Salen IDP camp, the largest in Chin State, hosting more than 650 people from Thantlang, Kalay and Matupi. Salen, Thantlang township, Chin State, Myanmar, April 2024
Traditional Chin house with fire wood reserves. Salen village, Chin State, Myanmar, April 2024
Chin National Army (CNA) and Chin Defense Forces (CDF) positions in a school on the frontline facing the Myanmar military a couple of hundred meters away. Thantlang downtown, Chin State, Myanmar, April 2024
Prisoners of war (POW) captured during recent operations in Chin State. Contrary to the Myanmar military that executes prisoners the Chin National Army provides them shelter and food and follows the Geneva conventions related to POW. Camp Victoria, Chin State, Myanmar, April 2024
Chin National Army (CNA) new recruits training. CNA HQ in Chin State, Myanmar, April 2024
Chin National Army (CNA) soldier in a safehouse in Mizoram where at present 22 injured soldiers stay for futher treatment and surgery following amputations on the battlefield. CNA safehouse in Aizawl, Mizoram, India, April 2024
Prisoners of war (POW) bathing and washing their clothes in the river. Contrary to the Myanmar military that executes prisoners the Chin National Army provides them shelter and food and follows the Geneva conventions related to POW. Camp Victoria, Chin State, Myanmar, April 2024
Thantlang, a town of 12,000 before the war is now completely evacuated of its civilian population. The town has been completely destroyed and mostly burned to the ground. Until this day the town is divided between a Myanmar military conrolled part and the other half controlled by the Chin Defense Forces (CDF). Merely a couple of hundred meters separates them downtown. Some of the most violent and intensive combats in Chin State are taking place to this date in Thantlang. CDF positions in a hospital buiding on the frontline. Thantlang downtown, Chin State, Myanmar, April 2024
Member of the Chin Defense Forces (CDF) in front of a bunker near the frontline. Vui Chip CDF outpost, Thantlang, Myanmar, April 2024
Thantlang, a town of 12,000 before the war is now completely evacuated of its civilian population. The town has been completely destroyed and mostly burned to the ground. Until this day the town is divided between a Myanmar military conrolled part and the other half controlled by the Chin Defense Forces. Merely a couple of hundred meters separates them downtown. Some of the most violent and intensive combats in Chin State are taking place to this date in Thantlang. Thantlang frontline, Chin State, Myanmar, April 2024
Chin village in Chin State. Salen in Thantlang township, Chin State, Myanmar, April 2024
New recruits for the Chin National Army (CNA) doing physical exercises during their lenghty training before integrating the CNA. The ever increasing air strikes and forced military service enacted by the military dictatorship, has substantially increased the number of people that engage and seek refuge with the ethnic armed groups opposing the military coup leaders. CNA HQ, Camp Victoria in Chin State, Myanmar, April 2024
Chin National Army (CNA) HQ in Chinlung, Chin State, Myanmar, April 2024
Prisoners of war (POW) captured during recent operations in Chin State. Contrary to the Myanmar military that executes prisoners the Chin National Army provides them shelter and food and follows the Geneva conventions related to POW. Camp Victoria, Chin State, Myanmar, April 2024
Hrankhan IDP camp for displaced people from Thantlang town. Hrankhan village in Thantlang township, Chin State, Myanmar, April 2024
Land clearing for agriculture, causing frequent landslides and dust storms. Thantlang township, Chin State, Myanmar, April 2024
