20 March 2026 – Mr. Kawl Lian Thang, a representative from the Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP), was elected Speaker of the Chin State Hluttaw during its first session today in Hakha town.
Mr. Thant Sin Oo, also from the USDP, was chosen as Deputy Speaker, according to local sources.
The session occurred under heavy security amid ongoing military tensions in the town, including reported clashes earlier in the day near the parliament building between State Security and Peace Commission (SSPC) forces and Chin resistance groups.
Mr. Kawl Lian Thang currently serves as Minister of Natural Resources in the SSPC-appointed Chin State Government. He and Thant Sin Oo secured their seats through the Proportional Representation (PR) system in Chin State Hluttaw Constituency No. 1 during the controversial election held on 28 December 2025—the first phase of the junta’s phased nationwide polls.
The USDP dominated limited voting in Chin State, winning a majority of available seats in Hakha and Tedim towns, the only areas where polls were conducted due to widespread resistance control elsewhere.
Critics, including resistance groups and international observers, have dismissed the elections as fraudulent, citing low turnout, exclusion of major opposition parties like the National League for Democracy (NLD), voting restrictions in conflict areas, and coercion in junta-controlled areas.
The Chin State Hluttaw session follows the convening of national parliament (Pyithu and Amyotha Hluttaw) on 16 and 18 March in Naypyitaw, where USDP figures—such as party chairman U Khin Yi as Lower House Speaker and U Aung Lin Dwe as Upper House Speaker—were similarly elected unopposed or with overwhelming support from military-backed lawmakers.
Today’s developments come against the backdrop of persistent conflict in Chin State since the 2021 military coup. Resistance forces, including units affiliated with the Chin National Front and People’s Defence Forces, control much of the state outside urban centers like Hakha and Tedim towns.
Earlier today, intense fighting was reported near the Hluttaw building, highlighting the fragile security situation surrounding the junta’s efforts to establish parallel governance structures.
No official casualty figures or further session details were immediately available from independent sources, as access to the area remains heavily restricted.
The assembly’s proceedings are widely viewed by opposition and ethnic armed organizations as illegitimate and part of the military’s attempt to legitimize its rule through a controlled electoral process. – Reporting by Daniel
