Chin National Defence Force (;

abbreviated An abbreviation () is a shortened form of a word or phrase, by any method including shortening, contraction, initialism (which includes acronym), or crasis. An abbreviation may be a shortened form of a word, usually ended with a trailing per ...

CNDF) is a

Chin The chin is the forward pointed part of the anterior mandible (List_of_human_anatomical_regions#Regions, mental region) below the lower lip. A fully developed human skull has a chin of between 0.7 cm and 1.1 cm. Evolution The presence of a we ...

ethnic armed organisation in

Myanmar Myanmar, officially the Republic of the Union of Myanmar; and also referred to as Burma (the official English name until 1989), is a country in northwest Southeast Asia. It is the largest country by area in Mainland Southeast Asia and has ...

. It is the armed wing of the Chin National Organisation (CNO), and was founded on 13 April 2021 alongside it. It is one of the armed groups formed in

Falam Falam (, ) is a town in north-western Burma (Myanmar) near Burma's western border with the Indian state of Mizoram. The town was founded by the Taisun tribe. The British arrived to Falam in 1892, and became an important base for British rule of ...

Chin State Chin State (, ) is a state in western Myanmar. Chin State is bordered by Sagaing Division and Magway Division to the east, Rakhine State to the south, the Chattogram Division of Bangladesh to the west, and the Indian states of Mizoram to th ...

of Myanmar in response to the Myanmar military's coup d'état after 1 February 2021. In 2024, the CNDF was one of the founding members of the

Chin Brotherhood Alliance The Chin Brotherhood (CB) is a military and political alliance between several ethnic armed organisations active in Chin State, Myanmar. Formed on 30 December 2023 during the Myanmar civil war, the claimed goal of the alliance is to foster colla ...

, siding with anti-junta groups who opposed the formation of

Chinland Chinland, officially the State of Chinland, is a self-governing polity in Southeast Asia. Its claimed territory encompasses Myanmar's Chin State. It controls approximately one third of the Chin State in western Myanmar, along the borders with ...

by the

Chin National Front The Chin National Front (; CNF) is a Chin people, Chin Nationalism, nationalist political organization in Myanmar. According to its website, its armed wing, the Chin National Army (CNA), fights the government of Myanmar. The group was founded on 20 ...

(CNF). The CNDF in

Matupi Township Matupi Township (; also batupui Township) is a township of Matupi District in the Chin State of Burma (Myanmar).Hakha Hakha (, ; formerly rendered Haka) is the capital of Chin State in Myanmar. Hakha is located in the northeast of Chin State, with a total area of about . The city of Hakha is located on a plateau at more than above sea level. Although relative ...

, and that the group would fight back against further confrontations. Throughout 2024, the group clashed with Chinland Council-aligned groups as well as with the junta. Between November 2024 and April 2025, the CNDF participated in the Battle of Falam and the larger Operation Chin Brotherhood. After Falam's capture, the CNDF reportedly assumed control. Beginning in July 2025, underlying tensions between the CNDF and Chinland Council groups, primarily CDF-Hualngoram, grew into armed clashes. On 5 July, the CNDF reportedly captured Rihkhawdar from CDF-Hualngoram. In retaliation, the

Chin National Army The Chin National Army (; abbreviated CNA) is a Chin ethnic armed organisation in Myanmar (Burma). It is the armed wing of the Chin National Front (CNF), and was founded on 20 March 1988 alongside it. The CNA signed a ceasefire agreement with ...

captured the CNDF headquarters at Camp Rihli, with the CNDF spokesman accusing the CNA of attempting to occupy

. Acting as defence secretary in the Chin National Defence Force is Olivia Thawng Luai.

References

Ethnic armed organisations in Myanmar {{Myanmar-org-stub