Chin State
Western highland state where Christian Chin majority organized rapid post-coup resistance despite being Myanmar's poorest.
Chin State is Myanmar's western highlands—a mountainous region bordering India where the predominantly Christian Chin people joined the post-coup resistance. The state's poverty and remoteness limited development but also provided terrain advantages for armed opposition.
The economy historically ranked among Myanmar's poorest. Subsistence agriculture, limited cash crops, and modest trade characterized the region. Infrastructure remained underdeveloped; many villages lacked road access. Migration to other regions and abroad provided income through remittances.
Following the 2021 coup, Chin resistance organized quickly. The Chin National Front, Chin Defence Force, and local PDF units challenged military control. Fighting concentrated in Thantlang and other townships, with substantial destruction of urban areas. By 2025, resistance held significant territory.
The biological pattern is poverty-enabled resistance: Chin State's underdevelopment meant less economic stake for the military and fewer resources for civilian control, paradoxically facilitating opposition.