Interview with Chin NationalFront (CNF) spokesperson Salai Htet Ni

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 theirfoothold in the center of Thantlang. It's a police station with about 40policemen and Military Council soldiers. It was around 9pm yesterday. From thenon, 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 deadbodies. The rest seem to have left their weapons and fled. It is assumed thatthey left all their weapons and ran away. Because those weapons don't havebullets anymore. I think they left the weapon because they ran out ofammunition. At the same time, we stormed Thantlang's general administrationdepartment, where a part of the Military Council's troops were stationed, andthey 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 inThantlang town, leaving no residents. Since then, in Thantlang City, we havetaken a foothold where there are no people. In Thantlang town, there is alwaysa fight between the army/police and us as well as the localdefense forces. So now that it has happened, the Military Council is in aposition to do more operations. Because there is still their hill-based camp inThantlang city. Because of the security of that camp, they are in a positionwhere 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 9townships, we have the Chin National Army and the local defense forces. Withintwo years, we can control all non-urban areas in Chin State. The MilitaryCouncil can rule only the urban areas. In Thantlang urban areas, there are nopeople anymore. Because of this situation, we can say that more than 70 percentout of 100 can be controlled. The martial law issued there is only as effectiveas 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 threatensthe public under the Four Cuts policy so that the public can't get along withus. Mainly, the public may experience more difficulties, for example, curfewscan be imposed at any time. So there will be difficulties for the public. Iwould also like to say that this martial world will not be effective for theentire 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 MilitaryCouncil rather than revenge. The people said it was revenge, but we wanted toeradicate the Military Council. We have already made up our minds. Wherever weare, we will overthrow the Military Council as the situation calls for it. Wewill continue to fight so that we can take it down. But this year 2023 is avery important period for us. Since the Military Council has started to marchwith warplanes, we have made good preparations, and based on their weakness onthe 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 aresheltering in the rural areas of the country. That's why the Military Councilis making more and more cuts to their living conditions. But we are notworried. These roads are important for us to dominate. For that, we mustcontinue to try and fight to the best of our ability. Therefore, as I said thatmartial law applies only to the city, we need to be able to control thistransportation. Only then we can solve the refugee situation. They are alreadykilling the people. To help refugees, in their eyes, they see all theserefugees as revolutionaries, because they will always make the people suffer. Iwould like to say that all of these are things that we will have to deal with.

Narinjara - Thank you Salai Htet Ni for answering.