1 November 2021

The Institute of Chin Affairs is shocked and saddened for the Chin people of Thantlang, a town which was bombed and burned by the Myanmar junta troops on 29 October 2021.

At around 10 am on 29 October 29, 2021, Burma (Myanmar) junta troops were conducting clearance operations and looting in the town of Thantlang when they had clashes with Thantlang Chinland Defense Force (CDF) volunteers. The junta troops responded by firing heavy artillery shells into civilian residential houses in Thantlang, starting the fires from multiple locations in the town.

The fires spread to other houses, and many burned until the next day.  In total, about 164 houses in Thantlang, including CB Bank building were completely burnt to the ground.  The Church on the Rock (COTR) building and the Presbyterian Church, were also gutted in the blaze.

This is the second time the Burma (Myanmar) military has attacked this town with the first-time being 18 September 2021 when more than 18 houses were set on fire by the Myanmar troops, and when almost all residents of Thantlang fled taking refuge in the jungles or nearby villages and neighboring Mizoram state of India.

The military junta troops have long been looting residential homes, killing innocent civilians, shelling residential homes, deliberately destroying Chin cultural artifacts and sacred religious temples across Chin State. These actions are a deliberate unforgivable insult to the Chin people.

These actions of the Burma (Myanmar) military are in violation of international humanitarian law, international human rights law, as well as war crimes and crimes against humanity. It should be noted that the military council must be held accountable for these crimes.

The Institute of Chin Affairs urges the international community, including the United Nations, to take immediate action to end the military junta’s violence against the people of Chin State and throughout Myanmar.

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