Drafting Chinland Defence Law Emerges as Top Priority for Chin State Parliament

The Chin State Parliament has prioritized drafting and enacting a comprehensive Chinland Defence Law to establish a unified legal framework for all revolutionary armed forces operating across the region. Spearheaded by the Defence Minister of the Government of Chinland—formed under the revolutionary Chinland Council—the legislative effort brings together officials from the parliament, the Ministry of Defence, and the Defence Coordination Team (DCT). “The Chinland Council’s DCT has tasked us with drafting this law. Given the complexities involved, we plan to utilize an interim Terms of Reference (ToR) approach to address immediate operational issues while revolutionary forces are being consolidated,” said U Hung Naing, speaker of the Chin State Parliament. The interim ToR guidelines were dispatched in late August to the Chinland Council, the regional revolutionary government, and local administrative units. Developing a universally accepted framework presents organizational and political challenges due to the diverse backgrounds of various Chinland Defence Force (CDF) factions formed during the anti-junta revolution. To ensure consensus, the parliament plans to circulate the draft among all regional units, CDF factions, and the Chin National Army (CNA) for comprehensive review before final enactment. Concurrently, the Ministry of Defence is pushing to unify the CNA and autonomous CDF factions under a single civilian command structure, a mandate guaranteed by the 2023 Chinland Constitution. “Bringing all resistance forces under civilian oversight is essential. Right now, we are actively organizing battalions and units under the ministry,” said Salai Kep Chin Thang, secretary of the Chinland Council, which has established local administrations across 19 townships and regions as part of the nationwide resistance movement against military rule.