![]() | This article needs to be updated.(November 2023) |
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]
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:
Name | Abbreviation | Founded | Strength | Headquarters | Location | Affiliations | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
![]() | AA | 2009 |
| Laiza |
| ||
![]() | AA (Kayin) | 2010 | 350 (2024) [4] | Mobile headquarters | Kayin State |
| |
![]() | ABSDF | 1988 | 600 (2016) [5] | Manerplaw (until 1995) [6] | Joined the CRPH / NUG after the 2021 Myanmar coup d'état [7] | ||
![]() | ALA | 1968 | 100 (2024) [8] | Sittwe | Armed wing of the Arakan Liberation Party |
| |
Arakan Rohingya Army | ARA | 2020 | Unknown | Mobile headquarters | |||
![]() | ARSA | 2013 | ~200 (2018) [10] [11] | Mobile headquarters |
| ||
![]() | BPLA | 2021 | 1,000+ [13] | Mobile headquarters | Eastern Myanmar | Co-founded by activist Maung Saungkha | |
![]() | CNA | 1988 | 1,500+ (2024) [14] | Camp Victoria [15] | Chin State |
| Joined the CRPH / NUG after the 2021 Myanmar coup d'état [17] |
![]() | CNDF | 2021 | Unknown | Falam | Chin State | Armed wing of the Chin National Organisation [18] | |
![]() | CDF | 2021 | Unknown | Mobile headquarters | |||
![]() | DPLA | 2022 | ~500 [19] | Mobile headquarters | Shan State | Armed wing of the Danu People's Liberation Front | |
![]() ![]() | DKBA/DKBA-5 | 2010 | 2,000+ (2024) [8] [20] [21] | Sonesee Myaing | Armed wing of the Klohtoobaw Karen Organization [8] |
| |
![]() | KDA | 1991 | 2,850 (2020) [22] | Kawnghka | Shan State |
| |
![]() | KIA | 1961 | 20,000 (2018) [24] | Kachin State, northern Shan State |
| Holds and governs territory in Kachin State [25] | |
![]() | KLO | 1995 | Unknown | Taga, Sagaing (until 2019) [26] | Part of the UNLFW | Based in India and operates in Assam and West Bengal | |
![]() ![]() | KNA | 2024 | 7,000+ [27] | Shwe Kokko [28] | Kayin State |
| |
![]() | KNDO | 1947 | Unknown | Affiliate of the Karen National Union | |||
![]() | KNLA | 1949 | 15,000 (2021) [31] |
| Broke its commitment to the Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement in response to the 2021 Myanmar coup d'état | ||
![]() | KA | 1949 | 1,500 (2012) [32] | Nya Moe [33] | Kayah State |
|
|
![]() | KNPLF | 1978 | 2,000 [34] | Pankan | Kayah State |
| |
![]() | KNDF | 2021 | 7,000+ [35] | Mobile headquarters | |||
Kanglei Yawol Kanna Lup | KYKL | 1994 | Unknown | Mobile Headquarters | Sagaing Region | Part of CorCom | |
![]() | KCP | 1980 | ~112 (2012) [38] | Mobile Headquarters | Sagaing Region | Part of CorCom | |
![]() | KNLP/A | 1964 | 200–300 | Pekon |
| Armed wing of the Kayan New Land Party |
|
![]() | KTLA | 2022 | Unknown | Kayin State | Broke away from the Karen National Union July 2022 [39] | ||
KNU/KNLA Peace Council | KPC | 2007 | 500+ (2024) [8] [40] | To-kawko | Kayin State | Not affiliated with the KNU or KNLA, despite its name | |
![]() | KNA(B) | 1988 | 1200+ (2024) [41] | Mobile headquarters | Armed wing of the Kuki National Organisation | Based in India and operates in Manipur | |
![]() | KCNA | 2017 | Unknown | Mobile headquarters | Armed wing of the Kuki-Chin National Front |
| |
![]() | LDU | 1973 [43] | 1,500 (2024) [8] | Loi Lan [8] | Shan State |
| |
![]() | MNLA | 1958 | 1,000+ (2024) [8] [47] | Ye Chaung Phya | Armed wing of the New Mon State Party | Signed the Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement in 2018, along with the Lahu Democratic Union [44] [45] [46] | |
![]() | MNLA-AMD | 2024 | 300 [8] | Unknown | Mon State | Armed wing of the New Mon State Party (Anti-Military Dictatorship) |
|
![]() | MNDAA | 1989 | 6,000 [48] | Mobile headquarters | Shan State (Kokang) |
|
|
![]() | MRDA | 2022 | 1,000+ [49] | Pale | Sagaing Region | Formerly known as the Myanmar Royal Dragon Army | |
![]() | NDAA | 1989 | 3,000 [50] –4,000 [20] (2016) | Mong La | Shan State | Split from the Communist Party of Burma after its dissolution | |
![]() | NLA | 2023 | Unknown | Tamu Township | Sagaing Region (Tamu Township) | Formerly the PDF Tamu Battalion 3 | |
![]() |
| 1980 | <500 (2016) [51] |
| Part of the UNLFW |
| |
![]() |
| 1989 | 700 (peak) [54] | Pangwa | Kachin State | Signed a ceasefire agreement with the government in 1989 and transformed into a Border Guard Forces in 2009 | |
![]() | PNA | 1949 | 4,000 (2023) [55] | Taunggyi | Shan State | Armed wing of the Pa-O National Organisation |
|
![]() | PNLA | 2009 | 1,000+ (2024) [8] [20] [56] | Camp Laybwer | Armed wing of the Pa-O National Liberation Organisation | Split into a pro-peace talk and anti-junta faction in January 2024 [8] | |
![]() | 2021 | 100,000 (2024 est.) [57] | Armed wing of the National Unity Government (NUG) |
| |||
![]() | PDF (Kalay) | 2021 | Unknown | Kalay | Sagaing Region | Part of the People's Defence Force | |
![]() | 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. [58] [59] | ||
![]() | PLAM | 1978 | 3,800 (2008) | Manipur | Part of CorCom | ||
![]() | PRA (Magway) | 2021 | Unknown | Mobile headquarters | |||
People's Revolutionary Party of Kangleipak | PREPAK | 1977 | ~200 (2012) [62] | Mobile headquarters | Sagaing Region | Part of CorCom | |
![]() | RIM | 2020 | Unknown | ||||
![]() | RSO | 1982 [63] | Unknown |
| |||
![]() | SNA | 2016 | 1,000+ (2019) [65] | Mobile headquarters | Kachin State | Allies with the Shan State Army (RCSS) and the Tatmadaw | |
![]() | SSPP/SSA | 1971 | 10,000 (2023) [66] | Wan Hai | Shan State |
| Signed ceasefire with Tatmadaw |
![]() | RCSS/SSA | 1996 | 8,000 (2024) [8] | Loi Tai Leng |
| Split from the Mong Tai Army in 1995 | |
![]() | LEM/LNDP | 2013 | 100 (2022) [67] | Myitkyina | Kachin State | Armed wing of the Lisu National Development Party |
|
![]() | SAF | 2021 | Unknown | Mobile headquarters | |||
![]() | TNLA | 1992 | 8,000-10,000 (2024) [48] | Mobile headquarters | Shan State |
| Governs the Pa Laung Self-Administered Zone |
![]() | ULFA-I | 1979 | 200 (2024) | Taga, Sagaing (until 2019) [26] | Part of the UNLFW |
| |
![]() | UNLF | 1964 | 2,000 | Manipur | Part of CorCom |
| |
![]() | UWSA | 1989 | 25,000 (2015) [70] | Pangkham | Shan State |
| Governs the Wa Self-Administered Division (Wa State) [71] |
![]() | WNA | 1969 | 200 (1998) [72] | Homein | Shan State |
| Signed a peace agreement with the government in August 1997 |
![]() | ZRA-EC | 1997 | 130 (2016) [20] | Churachandpur | Armed wing of the Zomi Revolutionary Organisation |
![]() |
Name | Abbreviation | Founded | Disbanded | Strength | Headquarters | Location | Affiliations | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Arakan Rohingya Islamic Front | ARIF | 1986 [74] | 1998 | Unknown | Mobile headquarters | |||
![]() | NDFB | 1986 | 2020 | 3,000+ | Taga, Sagaing (until 2019) [26] | Part of the UNLFW |
| |
Communist Party of Arakan | CPA | 1962 | 2004 | Unknown | Mobile headquarters | Rakhine State | Split from the Red Flag Communist Party | |
![]() | CPB | 1939 | 1989 | 6,000 [75] | Pangkham (until 1989) | Shan State | Armed wing dissolved in 1989 | |
![]() | DKBA | 1994 | 2010 | <5,000 [20] | Mobile headquarters | Kayin State |
| |
God's Army | 1997 | 2006 | 500 [76] | Mobile headquarters | Myanmar–Thailand border | Surrendered to government forces in 2006 | ||
Mongko Region Defence Army | MRDA | 1995 [77] [78] | 2000 | Unknown | Mongko | Split from the Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army | ||
![]() | MTA | 1985 | 1996 | 20,000 | Homein | Surrendered to the government in 1996 | ||
Monland Restoration Army | MRA | 2001 | 2012 | 100–300 [79] [80] | Sangkhlaburi | Armed wing of the Hongsawatoi Restoration Party | Surrendered to government forces in 2012 | |
![]() | None | 1947 | 1954 | 2,000 | Mayu | Rakhine State | Majority of fighters surrendered to the government in the late 1950s and early 1960s | |
![]() | RFCP | 1948 | 1978 | 500 [81] | Mobile headquarters | Shan State | Split from the Communist Party of Burma | |
Rohingya Liberation Party | RLP | 1972 | 1974 | 800–2,500 [82] [ better source needed ] | 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 [82] | Mobile headquarters | Rakhine State | ||
![]() | SSA | 1964 | 1976 | 1,500 | Mobile headquarters | Shan State |
| |
![]() | SSNA | 1995 | 2005 | 8,000 (peak) [83] | Hsipaw | Shan State | Merged with the Shan State Army – South in 2005 | |
![]() | SURA | 1960 | 1996 | Unknown | Homein |
| ||
![]() | VBSW | 1999 | 2013 | Unknown | Mobile headquarters | Myanmar–Thailand border |
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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.
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.