Matupi (, ) is the principal town of
Matupi Township
Matupi Township (; also batupui Township) is a township of Matupi District in the Chin State of Burma (Myanmar).[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 ...](_blank)
in western
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 ...
. There are 6 major
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 ...
tribes living in Matupi; the
Matu,
Mara
Mara or MARA may refer to:
Arts and entertainment Fictional characters
* Mara (''Doctor Who''), an evil being in two ''Doctor Who'' serials
* Mara (She-Ra), fictional characters from the ''She-Ra and the Princesses of Power'' and ''The New Advent ...
(Tlosai, Hlaipao, Hawthai, Sizo, etc),
Dai,
Zotung,
Lautuv and
Khumi tribes.
History
Among the villages in
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 ...
, Matupi (formerly known as Batupuei Village) was the biggest and most populous. The ''British Gazette'' mentioned that there were over 1,000 houses including paddy barns in the village of Batupuei in the period between 1900 and 1930. Under
British rule
The British Raj ( ; from Hindustani , 'reign', 'rule' or 'government') was the colonial rule of the British Crown on the Indian subcontinent,
*
* lasting from 1858 to 1947.
*
* It is also called Crown rule in India,
*
*
*
* or dire ...
, the township was included in the
Hakha district. The Ministry of Home and Religious Affairs granted Matupi the status of township on March 22, 1948.
''Batu'' refers to the inhabitants of Matupi,
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 ...
, Myanmar (Burma). Batu is an ethnic group in Southern Chin State, named after descendants of Batu, the first settler at Batu village. The name ''Batupuei'' comes from ''Batu,'' the name of the first settler, and ''Puei'' meaning "great". According to some local experts from the Batu tribe, the name ''Matupi'' derived from ''Batupuei'' (Badupi); however, due to a misreading of the spelling: ''Ba'' into ''Ma'' and ''Puei'' into ''Pi'' in Burmese characters, Matupi became the most widely used name without any historical significance in its meaning.
The Batu tribe migrated from Central Burma or northern Matupi after moving place to place as the Chin people migrated from
China
China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. With population of China, a population exceeding 1.4 billion, it is the list of countries by population (United Nations), second-most populous country after ...
. Some Chin people settled along the
Chindwin River
The Chindwin River (), also known as the Ningthi River (), is a river in Myanmar and is the largest tributary of the Irrawaddy River.
Sources
The Chindwin originates in the broad Hukawng Valley of Kachin State of Burma, roughly
, where the Tanai, ...
and Central Burma, while some continued to search for settlement in mountainous and hilly areas. Those Chin people who lived in plain areas called themselves "
Asho Chin" and those settling in the western mountainous areas called themselves "Hilly Chin". The Batu tribe was one of the Chin tribes that used to live on the delta of the Chindwin River, before they moved to western part of Burma.
The town was seized by the
Chin Brotherhood alliance on June 13th, 2024 during the
Myanmar civil war
Myanmar has been embroiled in armed conflict since 1948, when the country, then known as Burma, gained independence from the United Kingdom. The conflict has largely been ethnic-based, with ethnic armed organisations fighting Myanmar's arm ...
. During subsequent clashes between the Brotherhood and the military, the Brotherhood also skirmished with 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 ...
, with the two rival rebel groups blaming the other for instigating the fighting.
Transportation
There are two roads leading from Matupi. The first leads to
Mindat Mindat may refer to:
Places
* Mindat District, a district in Chin State, Myanmar (Burma), consisting of two townships and many villages
** Mindat Township, Myanmar
*** Mindat, Chin State, a town in Chin State, Myanmar, administrative seat of Mindat ...
and is long), and the second leads to
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 ...
township ( long).
Depending on the weather, there are buses that go back and forth between
Pakokku
Pakokku (, ) is the largest city in the Magway Region of Myanmar. It is situated about 30 km northeast of Bagan on the Irrawaddy River. It is the administration seat of Pakokku Township, Pakokku District and Gangaw District. Pakokku Bridge ...
located in
Magway and Matupi on a weekly basis, although buses may travel between Matupi and
Pakokku
Pakokku (, ) is the largest city in the Magway Region of Myanmar. It is situated about 30 km northeast of Bagan on the Irrawaddy River. It is the administration seat of Pakokku Township, Pakokku District and Gangaw District. Pakokku Bridge ...
more than once a week as well.
Minibuses from Pakkokku's Junction 8 bus station depart for Matupi most mornings starting at 7 a.m., passing through Mindat. The road to Mindat is paved and windy and then semi-paved and much more bumpy from Mindat to Matupi. The minibuses return from Matupi to Pakokku each morning. The minibus from Pakokku to Matupi takes 12 to 18 hours depending on weather, engine trouble, etc. Minibuses often caravan in group of 2 to 4 or more in order to support each other in case of engine trouble, etc. between Mindat to Matupi. Two large bridges over rivers have been constructed in the past 18 months, increasing the accessibility between Pakokku and Matupi
s of May 2016
From time to time, private cars may also go between
Pakokku
Pakokku (, ) is the largest city in the Magway Region of Myanmar. It is situated about 30 km northeast of Bagan on the Irrawaddy River. It is the administration seat of Pakokku Township, Pakokku District and Gangaw District. Pakokku Bridge ...
and Matupi and vice versa.
Both roads leading to Matupi are not well-paved.
Education
High schools
* No. 1 Basic Education of Matupi (Longvan ward)
* No 2. Basic Education of Matupi (Cangbong ward)
References
{{Reflist
Township capitals of Myanmar
Populated places in Chin State