FALAM, Myanmar — The Myanmar sham government has dispatched over 100 non-CDM (Civil Disobedience Movement) civil servants to the strategic town of Falam in Chin State, in a desperate bid to restart its administrative machinery a year after losing control of the region.
On the morning of May 6, a convoy consisting of more than 20 vehicles and nearly 150 motorcycles arrived in Falam from Kalay in neighboring Sagaing Region. The group primarily consists of teachers, healthcare workers, police officers, and general administration staff.
Despite the arrival of these officials, local sources describe Falam as a “ghost town.” Most of the civilian population fled during the intense seven-month military offensive to retake the town, which was eventually recaptured by the military on April 25, 2026.
“They held a welcoming ceremony at the City Hall as soon as they arrived,” a military source in Falam told MPA. “By numbers, they have enough staff to restart the administration. However, there are no citizens left to govern in Falam—only the soldiers and these newly arrived workers.”
The deployment appears to be the result of direct pressure from high-ranking military officials. Sources close to the General Administration Department in Kalay revealed that the Regional Operations Command (ROC) commander personally summoned the staff on April 27, ordering them back to their posts in Falam.
“The commander told them it was a direct order from the top. They were forced to go against their will,” a source said. “The military is eager to project an image of normalcy and show that they are back in control of Falam.”
Accompanying the convoy was a well-known military lobbyist, Kyaw Soe Oo, who observers say was brought along to facilitate propaganda efforts and broadcast the supposed “restoration” of civil governance to the public.
Falam, located 76 miles from the regional hub of Kalay, has been a key battleground. The town was seized by the Chin Brotherhood alliance in April 2025 and held for exactly one year before the military’s recent counter-offensive.
The military’s campaign to retake Falam relied heavily on reinforcements and logistical support funneled through Kalay. While the sham government now physically holds the town’s administrative buildings, the displacement of thousands of residents underscores the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Chin State, where resistance to military rule remains fierce.
