Cadets of the Kachin Independence Army (KIA) preparing for military drills at the group's headquarters in Laiza, Kachin State.

The following is a list of non-state armed groups involved in the internal conflict in Myanmar, officially called ethnic armed organisations (EAOs) by the government of Myanmar.[1]

Terminology

The term "ethnic armed organisation" (Burmese: တိုင်းရင်းသား လက်နက်ကိုင် အဖွဲ့အစည်း) emerged in Myanmar during the Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement negotiations from 2013 to 2015.[2] Various other terms, including "ethnic organisation", "ethnic resistance force", and "ethnic rebel group" have also been used to describe ethnic armed organisations. These organisations typically:

  • claim to represent an ethnic identity[2]
  • aim to garner mutual recognition from other ethnic armed organisations through alliances and coalitions[2]
  • have an armed wing, and often a separate political wing[2]

Active

Name Abbreviation Founded Strength Headquarters Location Affiliations Notes
Arakan Army AA 2009 30,000 (2021)[3] Laiza
Arakan Army (Kayin State) AA (Kayin) 2010 100 (2016)[5] Mobile headquarters Kayin State
All Burma Students' Democratic Front ABSDF 1988 600 (2016)[6] Manerplaw (until 1995)[7] Joined the CRPH / NUG after the 2021 Myanmar coup d'état
Arakan Liberation Army ALA 1968 60–100 (2016)[8] Sittwe Armed wing of the Arakan Liberation Party
Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army ARSA 2013 ~200 (2018)[9][10] Mobile headquarters
  • Previously known as Harakah al-Yaqin
  • Designated as a "terrorist group" by Myanmar's counter-terrorism law[11]
Bamar People's Liberation Army BPLA 2021 1,000+[12] Mobile headquarters Eastern Myanmar Co-founded by activist Maung Saungkha
Chin National Army CNA 1988 200+ (2016)[13] Camp Victoria[14] Chin State Joined the CRPH / NUG after the 2021 Myanmar coup d'état
Chin National Defence Force CNDF 2021 Unknown Falam Chin State Armed wing of the Chin National Organisation[16]
Chinland Defense Force CDF 2021 Unknown Mobile headquarters
Democratic Karen Buddhist Army – Brigade 5 DKBA-5 2010 1,500+ (2016)[17][18] Sonesee Myaing Split from the Democratic Karen Buddhist Army in 2010
Kachin Independence Army KIA 1961 20,000 (2018)[19]
Kachin State, northern Shan State Holds and governs territory in Kachin State[20]
Karen National Defence Organisation KNDO 1947 Unknown
Affiliate of the Karen National Union
  • Signed ceasefires with the government in 2012 and 2015[21]
  • Broke its commitment to the Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement in response to the 2021 Myanmar coup d'état
Karen National Liberation Army KNLA 1949 7,000 (2012)[22]
Broke its commitment to the Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement in response to the 2021 Myanmar coup d'état
Karenni Army KA 1949 1,500 (2012)[22] Nya Moe[23] Kayah State
Karenni National People's Liberation Front KNPLF 1978 2,000[24] Pankan Kayah State
  • Split from the Karenni Army
  • Signed ceasefire in 1989 and transformed into a BGF in 2009
  • Defected to anti-junta forces in June 2023
Karenni Nationalities Defence Force KNDF 2021 7,000+[25] Mobile headquarters
KNU/KNLA Peace Council KPC 2007 <200 (2016)[26] To-kawko Kayin State Not affiliated with the KNU or KNLA, despite its name
Kuki National Army KNA(B) 1988 200+ (2016)[27] Mobile headquarters Armed wing of the Kuki National Organisation
Lahu Democratic Union LDU Unknown Unknown Mobile headquarters Shan State
Mon National Liberation Army MNLA 1958 3,000–5,000 (2016)[31] Ye Chaung Phya Armed wing of the New Mon State Party Signed the Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement in 2018, along with the Lahu Democratic Union[28][29][30]
Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army MNDAA 1989 2,000[32]–4,000[33] (2016) Mobile headquarters Shan State (Kokang)
Split from the Communist Party of Burma after its dissolution
Myanmar Royal Dragon Army MRDA 2022 1,000+[34] Pale Sagaing Region
National Democratic Alliance Army NDAA 1989 3,000[35]–4,000[17] (2016) Mong La Shan State Split from the Communist Party of Burma after its dissolution
National Socialist Council of Nagaland NSCN-K 1980 <500 (2016)[36] Mobile headquarters Signed a ceasefire with India in 2001[37] and Myanmar in 2012[38]
People's Defence Force PDF 2021 65,000 (2022 est.)[39] Armed wing of the National Unity Government (NUG)
  • Formed in May 2021 after the 2021 Myanmar coup d'état
  • Consists of several local resistance groups and other newly-formed anti-junta ethnic militias, such as the Karenni People's Defence Force and the Chinland Defence Force
People's Defence Force (Kalay) PDF (Kalay) 2021 Unknown Kalay Sagaing Region Part of the People's Defence Force
People's Revolution Alliance (Magway) PRA (Magway) 2021 Unknown Mobile headquarters
People's Liberation Army PLA 2021 Unknown Armed wing of the Communist Party of Burma The Communist Party of Burma rearmed itself and announced the creation of its new armed wing, the People's Liberation Army, in late 2021.[40][41]
Pa-O National Army PNA 1949 4,000 (2023)[42] Taunggyi Shan State Armed wing of the Pa-O National Organisation
Pa-O National Liberation Army PNLA 2009 400+ (2016)[17][43] Camp Laybwer Armed wing of the Pa-O National Liberation Organisation
Rohingya Solidarity Organisation RSO 1982[44] Unknown
Shanni Nationalities Army SNA 2016 1,000+ (2019)[45] Mobile headquarters Kachin State Allies with the Shan State Army – South and the Tatmadaw
Shan State Army – North SSA-N 1971 8,000 (2016)[17] Wan Hai Shan State
Shan State Army – South SSA-S 1996 8,000 (2016)[17] Loi Tai Leng
Split from the Mong Tai Army in 1995
Student Armed Force SAF 2021 Unknown Mobile headquarters
Ta'ang National Liberation Army TNLA 1992 10,000-15,000 (2023)[46] Mobile headquarters Shan State Governs the Pa Laung Self-Administered Zone
United Wa State Army UWSA 1989 25,000 (2015)[47] Pangkham Shan State Governs the Wa Self-Administered Division (Wa State)[48]
Wa National Army WNA 1969 200 (1998)[49] Homein Shan State Signed a peace agreement with the government in August 1997
Zomi Revolutionary Army ZRA-EC 1997 3,000 (2016)[17] Churachandpur Armed wing of the Zomi Revolutionary Organisation Only minor skirmishes in Myanmar

Defunct

Name Abbreviation Founded Disbanded Strength Headquarters Location Affiliations Notes
Arakan Rohingya Islamic Front ARIF 1986[50] 1998 Unknown Mobile headquarters
Communist Party of Arakan CPA 1962 2004 Unknown Mobile headquarters Rakhine State Split from the Red Flag Communist Party
Communist Party of Burma CPB 1939 1989 6,000[51] Pangkham (until 1989) Shan State Armed wing dissolved in 1989
Democratic Karen Buddhist Army DKBA 1994 2010 <5,000[17] Mobile headquarters Kayin State
  • Signed a ceasefire agreement shortly after its formation in 1994 and disbanded in 2010
  • Split from the Karen National Union
God's Army 1997 2006 500[52] Mobile headquarters Myanmar–Thailand border Surrendered to government forces in 2006
Kachin Defense Army KDA 1961 2010 1,500[53] Kawnghka Shan State Originated as the Kachin Independence Army's 4th brigade
Mongko Region Defence Army MRDA 1995[54][55] 2000 Unknown Mongko Split from the Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army
Mong Tai Army MTA 1985 1996 20,000 Homein Surrendered to the government in 1996
Monland Restoration Army MRA 2001 2012 100–300[56][57] Sangkhlaburi Armed wing of the Hongsawatoi Restoration Party Surrendered to government forces in 2012
Mujahideen None 1947 1954 2,000 Mayu Rakhine State Majority of fighters surrendered to the government in the late 1950s and early 1960s
New Democratic Army – Kachin NDA-K 1989 2009 700 (peak)[58] Pang Wa Shan State Signed a ceasefire agreement with the government in 1989 and transformed into a BGF in 2009
Red Flag Communist Party RFCP 1948 1978 500[59] Mobile headquarters Shan State Split from the Communist Party of Burma
Rohingya Liberation Party RLP 1972 1974 800–2,500[60] Mobile headquarters Rakhine State Insurgents fled across the border into Bangladesh after a massive military operation by the government in July 1974
Rohingya National Army RNA 1998 2001 Unknown Cox's Bazar Armed wing of the Arakan Rohingya National Organisation (ARNO)
Rohingya Patriotic Front RPF 1974 1980s 70[60] Mobile headquarters Rakhine State
Shan State Army SSA 1964 1976 1,500 Mobile headquarters Shan State
Shan State National Army SSNA 1995 2005 8,000 (peak)[61] Hsipaw Shan State Merged with the Shan State Army – South in 2005
Shan United Revolutionary Army SURA 1960 1996 Unknown Homein
Vigorous Burmese Student Warriors VBSW 1999 2013 Unknown Mobile headquarters Myanmar–Thailand border

Coalitions

Name Abbreviation Founded Headquarters Members Notes
Federal Union Army FUA 2011 Chiang Mai
Armed wing of the United Nationalities Federal Council[63]
Northern Alliance NA-B 2016 Laiza
All four members of the Northern Alliance are also members of the Federal Political Negotiation and Consultative Committee
Three Brotherhood Alliance 2019
4K Alliance 2023
Alliance of ethnic Karen rebel organisations.

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Ethnic armed organisations' conference commences". President's Office of the Republic of the Union of Myanmar. Archived from the original on 14 February 2019. Retrieved 13 February 2019.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Amara Thiha. "It's Time To Rethink Myanmar's Ethnic Armed Organizations". The Diplomat. Archived from the original on 24 March 2023. Retrieved 24 March 2023.
  3. ↑ Parvez, Altaf (2 January 2022). "'We recognise the human rights and citizen rights of the Rohingyas'". Prothom Alo. Archived from the original on 3 January 2022. Retrieved 3 January 2022.
  4. ↑ "Internet Blackout Imposed on Myanmar's Restive Rakhine State". Agence France-Presse via Voice of America. 23 June 2019. Archived from the original on 20 July 2019. Retrieved 20 July 2019.
  5. ↑ "AA (Karen Region) | Myanmar Peace Monitor". www.mmpeacemonitor.org. Myanmar Peace Monitor. Archived from the original on 29 April 2017. Retrieved 12 March 2018.
  6. ↑ "All Burma Students' Democratic Front (ABSDF) | Myanmar Peace Monitor". mmpeacemonitor.org. Myanmar Peace Monitor. Archived from the original on 10 March 2018. Retrieved 12 March 2018.
  7. 1 2 3 "The Politics of Pressure: The 1990s and the Fall of Manerplaw". www.ibiblio.org. The Museum of Karen History and Culture. Archived from the original on 27 October 2019. Retrieved 19 April 2018.
  8. ↑ "Arakan Liberation Party (ALP) | Myanmar Peace Monitor". www.mmpeacemonitor.org. Myanmar Peace Monitor. Archived from the original on 17 March 2018. Retrieved 12 March 2018.
  9. ↑ Olarn, Kocha; Griffiths, James (11 January 2018). "Myanmar military admits role in killing Rohingya found in mass grave". CNN. Archived from the original on 18 January 2018. Retrieved 16 January 2018.
  10. ↑ "'Beyond comprehension': Myanmar admits killing Rohingya". www.aljazeera.com. 11 January 2018. Archived from the original on 15 January 2018. Retrieved 16 January 2018.
  11. ↑ "Exclusive: Is this the final confrontation for the Rohingya?". Dhaka Tribune. 27 August 2017. Retrieved 29 August 2017.
  12. ↑ "တရုတ်နယ်စပ်က ရိုင်ဖယ်များနှင့် အားမာန်ပြည့်လာသည့် တပ်ဖွဲ့သစ်များ" [Armed groups rejuvenated by rifles from Chinese borderlands]. Irrawaddy (in Burmese). 6 June 2023.
  13. ↑ "Chin National Front (CNF) | Myanmar Peace Monitor". www.mmpeacemonitor.org. Myanmar Peace Monitor. Archived from the original on 27 March 2018. Retrieved 12 March 2018.
  14. ↑ Fishbein, Emily (9 January 2023). "Chin nationalism 'blossoms' on northwestern front against junta". Frontier Myanmar. Archived from the original on 22 March 2023. Retrieved 22 March 2023.
  15. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "Peace Process Overview | Myanmar Peace Monitor". mmpeacemonitor.org. Myanmar Peace Monitor. Archived from the original on 2 August 2018. Retrieved 12 March 2018.
  16. ↑ Benezer, Salai. "Chin people form CNO, CNDF". BNI Multimedia Group. Burma News Internationational. Archived from the original on 23 April 2021. Retrieved 27 January 2022.
  17. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "Armed ethnic groups | Myanmar Peace Monitor". www.mmpeacemonitor.org. Myanmar Peace Monitor. 10 January 2013. Archived from the original on 8 May 2019. Retrieved 12 March 2018.
  18. ↑ "Peace may prove elusive as divisions sap strength of karen national union | Bangkok Post: news". www.bangkokpost.com. Bangkok Post. 14 October 2012. Retrieved 10 March 2018.
  19. ↑ "Kachin Independence Organization (KIO) | Myanmar Peace Monitor". mmpeacemonitor.org. Myanmar Peace Monitor. Archived from the original on 12 March 2018. Retrieved 12 March 2018.
  20. ↑ "Burma attack breaks Kachin truce near China border". BBC. 20 January 2013. Archived from the original on 19 August 2014. Retrieved 18 August 2014. The rebels are seeking greater autonomy within Burma for ethnic Kachins who have had de facto control over a part of northern Burma for more than 50 years.
  21. ↑ "Myanmar Signs Historic Cease-Fire Deal With Eight Ethnic Armies". Radio Free Asia. 15 October 2015. Archived from the original on 25 March 2016. Retrieved 3 March 2016.
  22. 1 2 Burma center for Ethnic Studies, January 2012, "Briefing Paper No. 1" http://www.burmalibrary.org/docs13/BCES-BP-01-ceasefires(en).pdf Archived 3 March 2016 at the Wayback Machine
  23. ↑ Murray, Lucy. "Karenni rebels dig in for last stand". Asia Times. Archived from the original on 26 March 2005.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  24. ↑ Khin, Aung; Aung, Nyan Lin (9 December 2021). "ကရင်နီကာကွယ်ရေးတပ်ဖွဲ့". Voice of America (in Burmese). Archived from the original on 7 July 2022. Retrieved 3 July 2022.
  25. ↑ "တရုတ်နယ်စပ်က ရိုင်ဖယ်များနှင့် အားမာန်ပြည့်လာသည့် တပ်ဖွဲ့သစ်များ" [Armed groups rejuvenated by rifles from Chinese borderlands]. Irrawaddy (in Burmese). 6 June 2023.
  26. ↑ "Karen Peace Council (KPC) | Myanmar Peace Monitor". www.mmpeacemonitor.org. Myanmar Peace Monitor. Archived from the original on 25 September 2015. Retrieved 15 October 2017.
  27. ↑ "Kuki National Organization | Myanmar Peace Monitor". mmpeacemonitor.org. Myanmar Peace Monitor. Archived from the original on 15 October 2018. Retrieved 23 February 2017.
  28. 1 2 "2 groups join Myanmar government's peace process". AP News. 13 February 2018. Archived from the original on 29 March 2018. Retrieved 28 March 2018.
  29. 1 2 "New Mon State Party and Lahu Democratic Union sign NCA". Office of the President of Myanmar. Archived from the original on 29 March 2018. Retrieved 28 March 2018.
  30. 1 2 "NCA signing ceremony for NMSP, LDU to take place on 13 Feb". Mizzima. 6 February 2018. Archived from the original on 29 March 2018. Retrieved 28 March 2018.
  31. ↑ "New Mon State Party (NMSP) | Myanmar Peace Monitor". www.mmpeacemonitor.org. Myanmar Peace Monitor. Archived from the original on 12 October 2017. Retrieved 15 October 2017.
  32. ↑ "MNDAA | Myanmar Peace Monitor". www.mmpeacemonitor.org. Myanmar Peace Monitor. Archived from the original on 22 April 2019. Retrieved 12 March 2018.
  33. ↑ "47 Govt Troops Killed, Tens of Thousands Flee Heavy Fighting in Shan State". irrawaddy.org. Archived from the original on 22 October 2015. Retrieved 2 November 2015.
  34. ↑ "တရုတ်နယ်စပ်က ရိုင်ဖယ်များနှင့် အားမာန်ပြည့်လာသည့် တပ်ဖွဲ့သစ်များ" [Armed groups rejuvenated by rifles from Chinese borderlands]. Irrawaddy (in Burmese). 6 June 2023.
  35. ↑ "NDAA | Myanmar Peace Monitor". www.mmpeacemonitor.org. Myanmar Peace Monitor. Archived from the original on 16 February 2015. Retrieved 12 March 2018.
  36. ↑ "NSCN-K | Myanmar Peace Monitor". mmpeacemonitor.org. Myanmar Peace Monitor. Archived from the original on 7 October 2018. Retrieved 12 March 2018.
  37. ↑ "NSCN(K) faction revokes decision to abrogate ceasefire agreement". The Economic Times. 7 December 2018. Archived from the original on 27 December 2018. Retrieved 27 December 2018.
  38. ↑ "Naga Peace Process: Gone Off Track". www.ipcs.org. Institute of Peace and Conflict Studies. Archived from the original on 24 October 2020. Retrieved 5 April 2020.
  39. ↑ Aung, Banyar (24 November 2022). "An Assessment of Myanmar's Parallel Civilian Govt After Almost 2 Years of Revolution". The Irrawaddy. Archived from the original on 24 November 2022. Retrieved 24 November 2022.
  40. ↑ "Communist Party of Burma declares People's War against the junta government". Workers Today. 7 November 2021. Archived from the original on 7 April 2022. Retrieved 3 December 2021.
  41. ↑ Bociaga, Robert (24 November 2021). "Myanmar's Army Is Fighting a Multi-Front War". The Diplomat. Archived from the original on 5 July 2022. Retrieved 29 November 2021.
  42. ↑ "'They are preparing for war': Forced recruiting by Pa-O militia in Shan". Frontier Myanmar. 28 February 2023.
  43. ↑ "PNLO | Myanmar Peace Monitor". www.mmpeacemonitor.org. Myanmar Peace Monitor. 6 June 2013. Archived from the original on 17 April 2019. Retrieved 12 March 2018.
  44. ↑ "Rohingya Solidarity Organization | Facebook". www.facebook.com. Archived from the original on 1 November 2013. Retrieved 24 December 2016.
  45. ↑ Thet Ko Ko (8 April 2019). "Without Territory, the Shanni Army's Difficult Path to Recognition". The Irrawaddy. Archived from the original on 5 November 2020. Retrieved 5 November 2020.
  46. ↑ "Treading a Rocky Path: The Ta'ang Army Expands in Myanmar's Shan State". International Crisis. Retrieved 19 November 2023.
  47. ↑ Davis, Anthony. "Wa army fielding new Chinese artillery, ATGMs". IHS Jane's Defence Weekly. Archived from the original on 23 July 2015. Retrieved 23 July 2015.
  48. ↑ Gerdes, Luke (8 February 2009). "Constructing Terror: How Issues of Construct Validity Undermine the Utility of Terror Databases and Statistical Analyses of Terrorism". All Academic Research. Archived from the original on 23 October 2014. Retrieved 18 August 2014. The best such example comes from the United Wa State Army (UWSA), an armed ethnic organisation that has established de facto control over a portion of Northeastern Burma.
  49. ↑ I. Rotberg, Robert (1998). Burma: Prospects for a Democratic Future. Brookings Institution Press. ISBN 0-8157-9169-0. Archived from the original on 3 September 2020. Retrieved 19 September 2020.
  50. ↑ "Bangladesh Extremist Islamist Consolidation". by Bertil Lintner. Archived from the original on 22 June 2012. Retrieved 21 October 2012.
  51. ↑ Gibson, Richard Michael (2011). The Secret Army: Chiang Kai-shek and the Drug Warlords of the Golden Triangle. John Wiley and Sons. p. 88. ISBN 978-0-470-83018-5.
  52. ↑ Mydans, Seth (1 April 2000). "Burmese Rebel Chief More Boy Than Warrior". NY Times. Archived from the original on 20 December 2019. Retrieved 2 November 2013.
  53. ↑ "KDA transformed to militia groups by Burma junta". www.burmanet.org. Archived from the original on 27 January 2016. Retrieved 22 January 2016.
  54. ↑ Steinberg, David I. (2001). Burma: The State of Myanmar. Georgetown University Press. p. 195. ISBN 1-58901-285-2. Archived from the original on 24 May 2020. Retrieved 10 March 2018.
  55. ↑ Colletta, Nat J.; Lim, Teck Ghee; Kelles-Viitanen, Anita (2001). Social Cohesion and Conflict Prevention in Asia: Managing Diversity Through Development. World Bank Publications. p. 310. ISBN 978-0-8213-4874-1. Archived from the original on 6 May 2016. Retrieved 10 March 2018.
  56. ↑ "Ceasefire celebration noticeably absent". Independent Mon News Agency. Independent Mon news Agency. 29 June 2010. Archived from the original on 7 June 2019. Retrieved 2 January 2016.
  57. ↑ "The Irrawaddi – Precarious Peace in Monland". Archived from the original on 6 October 2014. Retrieved 2 January 2016.
  58. ↑ "New Democratic Army – Kachin". Mizzima News. Archived from the original on 23 October 2017. Retrieved 31 December 2015.
  59. ↑ Schmid, Alex Peter, A.J. Jongman, and Michael Stohl. Political Terrorism: A New Guide to Actors, Authors, Concepts, Data Bases, Theories, and Literature Archived 2 June 2019 at the Wayback Machine. New Brunswick, N.J.: Transaction Publishers, 2005. p. 514
  60. 1 2 Pho Kan Kaung (May 1992). "The Danger of Rohingya". Myet Khin Thit Magazine No. 25. pp. 87–103.
  61. ↑ "MAR – Data – Chronology for Shans in Burma". 1 June 2010. Archived from the original on 1 June 2010. Retrieved 6 June 2019.
  62. ↑ "Vigorous Burmese Student Warriors". Tracking Terrorism. Archived from the original on 17 January 2021. Retrieved 4 January 2016.
  63. ↑ "Stakeholders: UNFC | Myanmar Peace Monitor". mmpeacemonitor.org. Myanmar Peace Monitor. 6 June 2013. Archived from the original on 22 April 2019. Retrieved 12 March 2018.
  • Myanmar Peace Monitor – NGO based in Chiang Mai, Thailand that monitors Myanmar's ongoing peace process.
  • Pyidaungsu Institute – Political institute based in Chiang Mai, Thailand focused on achieving political stability and peace in Myanmar.
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