Mizoram border eases as Chin resistance fighters vacate forward posts
The CNDF – the military wing of the Chin National Organisation (CNO) – reportedly vacated key positions in Zokhawthar, Rihkhawdar and nearby villages — all located across the Tiau river.

Aizawl, July 12: Villagers in Champhai district bordering Myanmar, who have been witness to a spike in refugee influx, found brief respite following the sudden pullback of Chin National Defence Force (CNDF) fighters from the western Chin state areas late on Thursday.
The CNDF – the military wing of the Chin National Organisation (CNO) – reportedly vacated key positions in Zokhawthar, Rihkhawdar and nearby villages — all located across the Tiau river. Zokhawthar village council president Dintea, who crossed into Myanmar early on Friday, confirmed the departure of the CNDF personnel, adding that he was unaware of any formal truce between rival Chin resistance groups – the Chinland Council (CC) and the Interim Chin National Consultative Council (ICNCC).
Confirming the militia’s withdrawal, Hminga, a prominent figure in the Hualngoram People’s Organisation (HPO) – the political wing of the Chinland Defence Force (CDF)-Hualngoram – voiced uncertainty over the group’s future intentions. Speaking to this correspondent from inside Myanmar, Hminga noted that CNDF combatants left without offering any explanations.
The pullout follows mounting pressure from the Chin National Front (CNF)/Chin National Army (CNA), whose spokesperson Salai Htet Ni recently warned the CNO/CNDF of military action if they continued hostilities against CNA-aligned forces. In a statement, Htet Ni emphasised that the CNA’s operations are not aimed at seizing territory or asserting governance, but at stabilising the region and safeguarding civilians.
“Our focus is not on controlling Falam or any particular township,” Htet Ni said. “We want to ensure security, meet our people’s basic needs, and direct our efforts towards the larger goal of peace and liberation.”
Meanwhile, calm appeared to return to areas opposite Saikhumphai, a border hamlet in southern Champhai district, as gunfire that had echoed across the Tiau river from Satawm village ceased on Friday morning. However, until late Thursday, sporadic firing and blasts had continued, said Lawma, a local leader of the Young Mizo Association (YMA) in Saikhumphai.
Since July 7, at least 3,892 refugees have streamed into the Zokhawthar border trade centre, with another 850 arriving in Saikhumphai, Vaphai, and Farkawn villages further south, following the eruption of armed clashes between the CNDF and CDF-Hualngoram forces.
The internecine violence, which flared up on July 2, has taken a toll on both sides. Two members of the CDF-Hualngoram were killed, and five others are currently undergoing treatment in Champhai. The CNDF suffered multiple casualties, with four combatants and one civilian reportedly drowning while attempting to cross the swollen Tiau river into Mizoram. Five CNDF members are also recovering from injuries in the district.
According to HPO/CDF-Hualngoram spokesperson Jacob Vanlalzawma Hualngo, CNA forces may soon withdraw from Falam township as well, if the current de-escalation trend holds.
By
Zodin Sanga