By Kavita Mistry 
The upcoming election in Myanmar will be a “sham” and will not help resolve the ongoing civil strife in the country that began with the coup by the military junta on February 1, 2021, said a leading member of a rebel outfit that has been fighting the junta for at least three years.
In an exclusive interview with The Hindu here, Yaw Mang, spokesperson of the Chin Brotherhood, based in Mindat township of Chin State bordering Mizoram, urged the Indian government to assist the people of Chin State with the supply of essential items such as food, medicine and telephone connectivity.
“The December 2025 election does not mean anything for us. It is like an event that is happening in another planet, which will not matter to us. The junta’s generals may dress up in military uniform or lungis depending on the occasion, but they will not stop the attacks,” said Mr. Mang, claiming that the junta has been receiving support from China in its attacks against ethnic groups. In August, the State Administration Council (military junta) announced that elections will be held in December. The Myanmar election will mark the beginning of a series of three elections in India’s neighbourhood, covering Myanmar, Bangladesh, and Nepal.
“We are fighting the junta because it is denying administrative and economic rights of our people and trying to grab resources without sharing with us. We would stop fighting if we get half the rights that are enjoyed by the people in Mizoram, across the border,” said Mr. Mang, adding, “We are absolutely in favour of building friendly ties with India.”
Mr. Mang, who was on a rare visit to New Delhi, said the Chin Brotherhood was formed on December 30, 2023, in response to the crackdown by the junta. “Initially, our people attacked the junta’s soldiers without training, which led to casualties on our side. But then, we received support from the Arakan Army, which has been fighting the junta in the Rakhine province, and we learnt from them,” said Mr. Mang, who described that the Chin Brotherhood is not ethnically motivated in its hostility to the Myanmar junta.
“The Myanmar military is mostly made of Bamars (the dominant ethnic group), but we are not opposing them because of their ethnicity,” said Mr. Mang, adding that the Chin Brotherhood fought the junta from November 9, 2024 to December 21, 2024, and liberated Mindat township. The turning point for the Chins of Mindat came just months after the coup, between May 12 and 15, 2021, when the military began attacking civilians who resisted its orders.
“We suffered around 500 casualties, out of which 80 were our soldiers. 420 were injured,” said Mr. Mang. According to Dr. Myo Myint, spokesperson of the National Unity Government (NUG) – the exiled government of Myanmar – the Chin Brotherhood is one of at least 300 Ethnic Armed Organisations (EAOs) that have been resisting the junta since February 2021.
Mr. Mang painted a picture of isolated existence for Mindat township, as the junta has cut electricity supplies and other commercial supply lines for the rebel-held area. As a result, the group has resorted to smuggling techniques through hill streams to obtain essential goods. “We literally have to smuggle books, pencils, paracetamol tablets, sanitary napkins, and other daily necessities through rivers so the junta cannot stop us,” Mr. Mang said. He explained that in the absence of electricity supplies, the Chin Brotherhood relies on solar panels and generators, minimising electricity consumption after sunset.
However, the most important resource for the rebels is internet connectivity, which they currently obtain through Starlink, Elon Musk’s satellite network. Starlink is expensive and inconvenient as it does not cover large areas, he added. As an alternative to Starlink, Mr. Mang said, India should help the rebels with mobile phone network. “We can replace expensive Starlink with Indian mobile network if Mizoram’s mobile towers use amplifiers to cover the bordering areas of Myanmar,” said Mr Mang, explaining that charging mobile phones is one of the few functions for which they generate electricity through solar panels.