The Chin National Front (CNF) has elected its top leadership at their 6th Congress which was held at their party headquarters on Indo-Myanmar border from January 26 to 30.
CNF Assistant General Secretary Sui Khar said, “We elected our leaders for the next 4-year term. Our two main resolutions at this congress are peace building and seeking common ground and stand among our ethnic Chin people.”
Congress elected current general secretary Pu Zing Cung as their new Chairman for the next 4-year term. Pu Thang Nang Lian Thang was elected as Vice-Chairman (1), Dr.Lian Hmung Sahkong was elected as Vice-Chairman (2) and Pu Thang Ning Kee was elected as Vice-Chairman (3) at this congress respectively.
In addition, Salai Thala Hei was elected as General Secretary, Dr. Sui Khar as Assistant General Secretary (1), Pu Khuar UkLian as Assistant General Secretary (2), and Pu Thet Ni was elected as Assistant General Secretary (3). The Congress also elected 45 central committee members.
The CNF is a signatory to the Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement (NCA) and they also agreed on adopting common ground for the peace building at the Congress.
The CNF issued a statement on February 1 which says they have adopted the strategy of building a federal union with democracy, equality and self-determination through political dialogue.
The statement further says they unanimously agreed to seek common ground and a common stance on peace among all ethnic Chin groups at the Union Peace convention as their basic principle of peace building.
Dr. Sui Khar said that they would seek this common ground and common stance on peace building through interaction and dialogue between CNF and all Chin people and then they would hold a Chin National Conference.
The statement urges the entire ethnic Chin people to join hands with CNF in building a federal union, rebuilding Chinland, and restoring self-determination to the Chin people.
The statement also says that they would continue to try to include all ethnic armed organizations at the various stages of political dialogue.
The statement also ‘profoundly demands’that the Arakan Army (AA) immediately stop their military operations in Chin State as the CNF has grave concerns over the suffering faced by Chin people living along the Indo-Myanmar border and Paletwa Township in Chin State who have had to live in a conflict zone due to military operations conducted by the AA.
Dr. Sui Khar said that the CNF would discuss and coordinate with AA to stop their military operations and to resolve this crisis peacefully.
Currently there are over 300 war refugees who have fled from Pinso village, Paletwa Township taking refuge in makeshift tents built on the bank of Kaladan River.