Kuki-Chin National Front

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Kuki-Chin National Front
AbbreviationKNF
Leader Nathan Bom
Chief Coordinator Cheosim Bom [1]  (POW)
FounderNathan Bom
Founded2017(7 years ago) (2017)
Headquarters Chin state, Myanmar
Armed wing Kuki-Chin National Army
Ideology Kuki-Chin nationalism
Jumma nationalism
Bawm nationalism
Anti-Bengali sentiment
Anti-Chakma sentiment [a]
Autonomy demands
Slogan"Nehnak Chu Lalpa Ta"
Website
Kuki-Chin National Front - KNF Facebook [b]
^  a:  [2] [3] [4] [5]
^  b: KNF has no official website, but it maintains an official facebook page where it updates about its activities.

Kuki-Chin National Front (KNF), also known as Bom Party or Bawm Party, [6] is a banned ethno-nationalist armed militant political organization in Bangladesh based in the Chittagong Hill Tracts. Established by Nathan Bom in 2017, KNF aims to establish a separate autonomous or independent state for Bawm, Pangkhua, Lushai, Khumi, Mru & Khiang peoples with nine subdistricts (upazilas) of Rangamati and Bandarban districts. [7] [6] [8] The Front has an armed wing called Kuki-Chin National Army. According to Bangladeshi law enforcement agencies, Kuki-Chin National Front has received weapons from the Kachin State in Myanmar, [9] and also has ties with Karen rebels. [10]

Contents

History

The red-colured areas in this map of the Chittagong Hill Tracts indicate to the proposed Kuki-Chin State. Most of the territories demanded by KNF fall under Rangamati and Bandarban districts Proposed map of Kuki-Chin State (en).svg
The red-colured areas in this map of the Chittagong Hill Tracts indicate to the proposed Kuki-Chin State. Most of the territories demanded by KNF fall under Rangamati and Bandarban districts

Kuki-Chin National Front was established in 2017 by members of the Bawm people in Bangladesh with two thousand personnel. [9] The Bawm community is mostly Christian and accuses the Parbatya Chattagram Jana Samhati Samiti of discrimination. [9] The founding president of the Kuki-Chin National Front is Nathan Bom, a graduate of fine arts from the University of Dhaka. [9] He was previously involved with the Parbatya Chattagram Jana Samhati Samiti's student wing, the Pahari Chhatra Parishad, and founded the Kuki-Chin National Development Organization in 2008 and renamed to Kuki-Chin National Volunteers. [9] [6] The Kuki-Chin National Volunteers would become the Kuki-Chin National Front. [6] Vanchun Lian Master, a vice-principal of the government primary school, is the chief of staff of the Kuki-Chin National Front. [10]

In June 2022, the Kuki-Chin National Front attacked a camp of Parbatya Chattagram Jana Samhati Samiti, killing three in Belaichhari Upazila, Rangamati District. [11] In October, tourists were sent back from Bandarban District in preparation for an operation by Bangladesh Army and other security forces against Kuki-Chin National Front. [12] In November 2022, Bangladesh Army launched a drive against Kuki-Chin National Front which saw 270 Kuki people seek refuge in Mizoram State in India. [13] [14]

In February 2023, Rapid Action Battalion arrested 17 personnel of Jama'atul Ansar Fil Hindal Sharqiya and three members of Kuki-Chin National Front after a day-long gunfight. [15] They also recovered AK-22 rifles among other weapons and bomb making equipment. [16] Jama'atul Ansar Fil Hindal Sharqiya paid 1.7 million to Kuki-Chin National Front for weapons. [17] By January 2023, 14 members of Kuki-Chin National Front were detained. [18]

On the night of 2 April 2024, some members of this group robbed the Sonali Bank branch in Ruma upazila, [19] looting around 15 million taka. The next day at noon, group members again attempted to rob two branches of Krishi Bank and Sonali Bank in Thanchi Upazila. Apart from the bank robbery incident, the attackers kidnapped the manager of a Sonali Bank branch, and snatched around 14 firearms of police and Ansar paramilitary forces. [20] [21] Later, the manager was released in exchange for a ransom of Tk 2 million. [22] After this incident, Bangladesh government suspended the peace talks and combined forces of Bangladesh Army, RAB & Police declared fullscale operation to capture KNF insurgents. By 10 April 2024, 55 people allegedly associated with KNF were arrested by Bangladesh Police. [23]

Kuki-Chin National Army

Kuki-Chin National Army
LeaderNathan Bom
Chief of StaffVanchun Lian Master [10]
Foundation2017
Dates of operation2017 (2017) – Present (Present)
CountryFlag of Bangladesh.svg  Bangladesh
AllegianceKuki-Chin National Front
MotivesThe creation of a separate Bawm state in the nine upazilas of Rangamati and Bandarban district [ citation needed ]
Active regions Chittagong Hill Tracts
StatusActive
SizeCouple of hundred
Means of revenue robbery, arms training
Allies
Opponents
Designated as a terrorist group byFlag of Bangladesh.svg  Bangladesh [24] [ failed verification ]

Kuki-Chin National Army (KNA) is the armed wing of Kuki-Chin National Front. [25]

From 11 to 17 January 2023, the Bandarban District administration banned tourists in the district due a drive against Kuki-Chin National Army by security forces in the district. [26] A bullet hit body of Kuki-Chin National Army personnel was found Ruma Upazila on 30 January 2023 after a gunfight with security forces. [27] Another gunfight took place between Rapid Action Battalion and the Kuki-Chin National Army. [28] On 12 March, the Assam Rifles detained two members of the Kuki-Chin National Army in Mirozam. [29] In March 2023, Kuki-Chin National Army attacked a convoy of Bangladesh Army that was escorting medical convoy for expectant mothers in Chittagong Hill Tracts. [30] [31] A master warrant officer of Bangladesh Army, Nazim Uddin, was killed in the ambush and two soldiers were injured. [30] [32] The Kuki-Chin National Army kidnapped 12 workers constructing the Thanchi road and released some of them after getting their ransom. [30] It also kidnapped a retired sergeant of Bangladesh Army who was working as a contractor on road construction. [33] In April 2023, eight people were killed in a shootout between the United People's Democratic Front (Democratic), a fraction of the United People's Democratic Front, and Kuki-Chin National Army in Rowangchhari Upazila, Bandarban District. [25]

Militant activities

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References

  1. ↑ "Nathan Bom's close associate, KNF 'chief coordinator' arrested". 7 April 2024.
  2. ↑ http://www.itvbd.com/analysis/141797
  3. ↑ "নাথান বমের কেএনএফ পাহাড়ে কেন 'কেটিসি' চায়, নেপথ্যে কী". 12 April 2024.
  4. ↑ http://www.prothomalo.com/amp/story/opinion/bcmktr3
  5. ↑ "পাহাড়ে রহস্যময় নাম 'নাথান বম'".
  6. 1 2 3 4 "In Chattogram Hill Tracts, a new group of armed insurgents is making waves. Who are they?". bdnews24.com. Archived from the original on 2 May 2024. Retrieved 7 April 2023.
  7. ↑ Akhter, Samina (23 November 2022). "Bangladesh countering separatism and militancy for ensuring peace and stability in the region". Modern Diplomacy. Retrieved 9 April 2024.
  8. ↑ "KNF: Where does it get its funding and what is its endgame?". Dhaka tribune.
  9. 1 2 3 4 5 "Who are these Kuki-Chin armies in the CHT?". Dhaka Tribune. 17 January 2023. Retrieved 7 April 2023.
  10. 1 2 3 "KNF disrupting tourism, development works in Bandarban". Dhaka Tribune. 21 March 2023. Retrieved 7 April 2023.
  11. ↑ "3 reportedly shot dead in CHT". The Daily Star. 23 June 2022. Retrieved 7 April 2023.
  12. ↑ "Tourists being sent back from Bandarban". Dhaka Tribune. 18 October 2022. Retrieved 7 April 2023.
  13. ↑ "KNF — A New Threat to Regional Security? | CGS". cgs-bd.com. Retrieved 7 April 2023.
  14. ↑ "Why Did Bangladesh's Kuki Chin Flee to India's Northeast?". The Diplomat. Retrieved 7 April 2023.
  15. ↑ Islam, Shariful; Marma, Mong Sing Hai (8 February 2023). "Bandarban's Thanchi: Rab arrests 17 militants after daylong gunfight". The Daily Star. Retrieved 7 April 2023.
  16. ↑ "Militants held in hills: Educated, yet they chose the wrong path". The Daily Star. 9 February 2023. Retrieved 7 April 2023.
  17. ↑ "Jama'atul Ansar financed Tk 17 lakh to buy heavy weapons: Rab". The Daily Star. 4 November 2022. Retrieved 7 April 2023.
  18. ↑ "12 militants, 14 KNF members arrested so far in anti-militancy drive in Bandarban: Rab". The Business Standard. 12 January 2023. Retrieved 7 April 2023.
  19. ↑ "সোনালি ব্যাংকে ডাকাতি" (in Bengali).
  20. ↑ "ব্যাংক ডাকাতি" (in Bengali).
  21. ↑ "পাহাড় জনপদে আতঙ্কের ঢেউ". Bhorer Kagoj (in Bengali). 5 April 2024. Retrieved 11 April 2024.
  22. ↑ Sakib, Musanna (5 April 2024). "ব্যাংক ম্যানেজারকে ছাড়তে ২০ লাখ টাকা মুক্তিপণ চায় কুকি-চিন: র‍্যাব". Arthosuchak (in Bengali). Archived from the original on 12 April 2024. Retrieved 11 April 2024.
  23. ↑ https://www.dhakatribune.com/bangladesh/nation/343816/knf-associate-held-in-bandarban Archived April 10, 2024, at the Wayback Machine
  24. ↑ "Two army soldiers killed in Kuki-Chin terrorist attack in Bandarban: ISPR". Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha.
  25. 1 2 "8 killed in 'shootout' between 2 armed groups in Bandarban: police". The Daily Star. 7 April 2023. Retrieved 7 April 2023.
  26. ↑ "Tourism banned again in Bandarban's Thanchi". Dhaka Tribune. 9 January 2023. Retrieved 7 April 2023.
  27. ↑ "'KNF man' found shot dead in CHT". The Daily Star. 30 January 2023. Retrieved 7 April 2023.
  28. ↑ "5 held over RAB-KNF gunfight in Bandarban". Dhaka Tribune. 7 February 2023. Retrieved 7 April 2023.
  29. ↑ "Mizoram: Two active Kuki Chin National Army cadres arrested by Assam Rifles in Lawgtlalai district". India Today NE. 12 March 2023. Retrieved 7 April 2023.
  30. 1 2 3 "Army man killed in Bandarban KNA attack". The Daily Star. 14 March 2023. Retrieved 7 April 2023.
  31. ↑ "Army warrant officer killed, two injured as Kuki-Chin separatists open fire in Bandarban". Prothom Alo. Retrieved 7 April 2023.
  32. ↑ "Situation in hills under control despite Sunday's 'isolated' incident: IGP". The Daily Star. 14 March 2023. Retrieved 7 April 2023.
  33. ↑ "Retired army sergeant abducted by KNA". Prothom Alo. Retrieved 7 April 2023.
  34. ↑ "Army man killed as KNA activists open fire in Bandarban". businesspostbd.com. Retrieved 4 May 2024.
  35. ↑ "Kuki-Chin National Army attack kills 2 Army men: ISPR". Prothom Alo. 17 May 2023. Retrieved 17 May 2023.
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