Mizzima
As pointlessly as two bald men arguing over a comb, the Chinland Council and the Chin Brotherhood have been fighting with each other over who gets to attack a junta battalion in Matupi Township, Chin State.
Instead of getting on with defeating the junta, the two groups thought it would be wise to expend energy and scarce ammunition on fighting each other for the right to attack the junta Infantry Battalion (IB) 140 stationed on Matupi Hill in Matupi Township, southern Chin State.
But, instead of just attacking the posts, two groups of Chin defence forces started fighting with each other over which of them would attack the posts.
Despite the situation on the ground being very confusing, Mizzima has tried to work out what happened.
The two arguing defence force factions were the Chinland Council and the Chin Brotherhood.
The Chinland Council is mainly made up of fighters from the Chin National Army (CNA).
The Chin Brotherhood is allied to the Arakan Army and the Yaw Army. It is a coalition of, amongst others, the Zomi Federal Union (ZFU), the Chin National Council (Mindat), the Chin National Organization (CNO), the Chin Defence Force (Kanpetlet), and Maraland Territorial Council (MTC).
To complicate matters in Matupi Township, Brigade 1 of the local Matupi Defence Force has sided with the Chin Brotherhood whilst Brigade 2 of the Matupi Defence Force has sided with the Chinland Council.
On 9 June, Chin Brotherhood fighters supported by AA and Yaw Army fighters started attacking junta camps and battalions in Matupi Township.
After the Chin Brotherhood launched its offensive the Chinland Council launched an offensive against the junta IB 140 bases on Matupi Hill in Matupi Township.
For some, so far, unknown reason this upset the Chin Brotherhood. Rather than treating its enemy’s enemy as a friend, as might be expected between two such groups, they decided that it was wiser instead to attack each other.
They started fighting each other in Matupi Township on 18 June. On 24 June the Chinland Council retreated and left the Chin Brotherhood to attack IB 140, who had probably hoped the Chin groups would continue to argue amongst themselves for even longer.
Prior to the Chinland Council’s retreat, on 23 June, the Matupi Defence Forces Fundraising Committee called for immediate negotiations to resolve the ongoing conflict between the Chinland Council and the Chin Brotherhood in Matupi Township.
The Chin Brotherhood and AA fighters finally took the junta bases on Matupi Hill with the loss of two Chin Brotherhood fighters’ lives on 25 June.
The Chin Brotherhood captured the junta base within a day, but had spent the previous six days fighting with other Chin anti-junta forces.
Clearly, the junta would love to encourage more similar behaviour amongst the defence forces lined up against it.
