The Chin National Front (CNF) and the Chinland Defense Force (CDF) raided and captured the Thantlang police station in northern Chin State at 1 a.m. on February 9, the CNF announced. During the seizure of the police station, more than 40 guns and a lot of ammunition were seized. The Military Council has also confirmed that this police station has fallen. Currently, the CNF has said that about 70 percent of 9 townships in Chin State have been controlled by the revolutionary forces. The Narinjara news agency contacted Chin National Front (CNF) information officer Salai Htet Ni about these issues.
Narinjara - In the early morning of February 9, the Thantlang police station was raided by CNF/CDF forces. It was reported that a large number of weapons were also seized. Please tell me the situation first.
Salai Htet Ni - Yes, it's the city police station where they took their foothold in the center of Thantlang. It's a police station with about 40 policemen and Military Council soldiers. It was around 9pm yesterday. From then on, we stormed the Thantlang City police station. At 2 o'clock in the morning, we cleared the area and were able to invade. We got 42 weapons and found 4 dead bodies. The rest seem to have left their weapons and fled. It is assumed that they left all their weapons and ran away. Because those weapons don't have bullets anymore. I think they left the weapon because they ran out of ammunition. At the same time, we stormed Thantlang's general administration department, where a part of the Military Council's troops were stationed, and they ran away in advance. On our side, one was killed and one was injured.
Narinjara: What is the situation in Thantlang town recently? Is there any kind of retaliatory attack by the Military Council? Is this police station still captured?
Salai Htet Ni - Yes. The Military Council burned down the houses in Thantlang town, leaving no residents. Since then, in Thantlang City, we have taken a foothold where there are no people. In Thantlang town, there is always a fight between the army/police and us as well as the local defense forces. So now that it has happened, the Military Council is in a position to do more operations. Because there is still their hill-based camp in Thantlang city. Because of the security of that camp, they are in a position where they can launch a more serious attack.
Narinjara - Currently, 7 townships in Chin State have been designated as Martial Law by the Military Council. So, can you say where and which areas the CDF/CNF troops have been able to dominate in Chin State?
Salai Htet Ni - Yes. There are 9 townships in Chin State. In all those 9 townships, we have the Chin National Army and the local defense forces. Within two years, we can control all non-urban areas in Chin State. The Military Council can rule only the urban areas. In Thantlang urban areas, there are no people anymore. Because of this situation, we can say that more than 70 percent out of 100 can be controlled. The martial law issued there is only as effective as the urban areas they rule. There is nothing special about our other places. This martial law is to torture the public. It is a martial law that threatens the public under the Four Cuts policy so that the public can't get along with us. Mainly, the public may experience more difficulties, for example, curfews can be imposed at any time. So there will be difficulties for the public. I would also like to say that this martial world will not be effective for the entire Chin State.
Narinjara - On January 10 and 11, the CNF headquarters in Thantlang was attacked by airstrikes from the Military Council. It is known that CNF troops were also injured there and local residents also had to flee. Now that this police station was raided, are you taking revenge on the Military Council?
Salai Htet Ni - We are doing it for the eradication of the Military Council rather than revenge. The people said it was revenge, but we wanted to eradicate the Military Council. We have already made up our minds. Wherever we are, we will overthrow the Military Council as the situation calls for it. We will continue to fight so that we can take it down. But this year 2023 is a very important period for us. Since the Military Council has started to march with warplanes, we have made good preparations, and based on their weakness on the ground, we will fight anywhere.
Narinjara: So we can conclude that the current military situation in Chin State is already quite bad. So, what is the current situation of the war refugees in the entire Chin State?
Salai Htet Ni - Yes. We have two types of war refugees in Chin State. There are refugees in the Indian state of Mizoram and war refugees who are sheltering in the rural areas of the country. That's why the Military Council is making more and more cuts to their living conditions. But we are not worried. These roads are important for us to dominate. For that, we must continue to try and fight to the best of our ability. Therefore, as I said that martial law applies only to the city, we need to be able to control this transportation. Only then we can solve the refugee situation. They are already killing the people. To help refugees, in their eyes, they see all these refugees as revolutionaries, because they will always make the people suffer. I would like to say that all of these are things that we will have to deal with.
Narinjara - Thank you Salai Htet Ni for answering.
