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 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Arakan Army | AA | 2009 | 40,000+ (claimed in May 2024) [3]
| Laiza |
| ||
Arakan Army (Kayin State) | AA (Kayin) | 2010 | 350 (2024) [6] | Mobile headquarters | Kayin State |
| |
All Burma Students' Democratic Front | ABSDF | 1988 | 600 (2016) [7] | Manerplaw (until 1995) [8] | Joined the CRPH / NUG after the 2021 Myanmar coup d'état [9] | ||
Arakan Liberation Army | ALA | 1968 | 100 (2024) [10] | Sittwe | Armed wing of the Arakan Liberation Party |
| |
Arakan Rohingya Army | ARA | 2020 | Unknown | Mobile headquarters | |||
Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army | ARSA | 2013 | ~200 (2018) [12] [13] | Mobile headquarters |
| ||
Bamar People's Liberation Army | BPLA | 2021 | 1,000+ [15] | Mobile headquarters | Eastern Myanmar | Co-founded by activist Maung Saungkha | |
Chin National Army | CNA | 1988 | 1,500+ (2024) [16] | Camp Victoria [17] | Chin State |
| Joined the CRPH / NUG after the 2021 Myanmar coup d'état [19] |
Chin National Defence Force | CNDF | 2021 | Unknown | Falam | Chin State | Armed wing of the Chin National Organisation [20] | |
Chinland Defense Force | CDF | 2021 | Unknown | Mobile headquarters | |||
Democratic Karen Buddhist Army – Brigade 5 | DKBA-5 | 2010 | 2,000+ (2024) [10] [21] [22] | Sonesee Myaing | Armed wing of the Klohtoobaw Karen Organization [10] |
| |
Kachin Defense Army | KDA | 1991 | 2,850 (2020) [23] | Kawnghka | Shan State |
| |
Kachin Independence Army | KIA | 1961 | 20,000 (2018) [25] | Kachin State, northern Shan State |
| Holds and governs territory in Kachin State [26] | |
Kamtapur Liberation Organisation | KLO | 1995 | Unknown | Taga, Sagaing (until 2019) [27] | Part of the UNLFW | Based in India and operates in Assam and West Bengal | |
Karen National Army | KNA | 2024 | 7,000+ [28] | Shwe Kokko [29] | Kayin State |
| |
Karen National Defence Organisation | KNDO | 1947 | Unknown | Affiliate of the Karen National Union | |||
Karen National Liberation Army | KNLA | 1949 | 15,000 (2021) [32] |
| Broke its commitment to the Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement in response to the 2021 Myanmar coup d'état | ||
Karenni Army | KA | 1949 | 1,500 (2012) [33] | Nya Moe [34] | Kayah State |
|
|
Karenni National People's Liberation Front | KNPLF | 1978 | 2,000 [35] | Pankan | Kayah State |
| |
Karenni Nationalities Defence Force | KNDF | 2021 | 7,000+ [36] | Mobile headquarters | |||
Kanglei Yawol Kanna Lup | KYKL | 1994 | Unknown | Mobile Headquarters | Sagaing Region | Part of CorCom | |
Kangleipak Communist Party | KCP | 1980 | ~112 (2012) [39] | Mobile Headquarters | Sagaing Region | Part of CorCom | |
Kayan New Land Army | KNLP/A | 1964 | 200–300 | Pekon |
| Armed wing of the Kayan New Land Party |
|
Kawthoolei Army | KTLA | 2022 | Unknown | Kayin State | Broke away from the Karen National Union July 2022 [40] | ||
KNU/KNLA Peace Council | KPC | 2007 | 500+ (2024) [10] [41] | To-kawko | Kayin State | Not affiliated with the KNU or KNLA, despite its name | |
Kuki National Army | KNA(B) | 1988 | 200+ (2016) [42] | Mobile headquarters | Armed wing of the Kuki National Organisation | Based in India and operates in Manipur | |
Kuki-Chin National Army | KCNA | 2017 | Unknown | Mobile headquarters | Armed wing of the Kuki-Chin National Front |
| |
Lahu Democratic Union | LDU | 1973 [44] | 1,500 (2024) [10] | Loi Lan [10] | Shan State |
| |
Mon National Liberation Army | MNLA | 1958 | 1,000+ (2024) [10] [48] | Ye Chaung Phya | Armed wing of the New Mon State Party | Signed the Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement in 2018, along with the Lahu Democratic Union [45] [46] [47] | |
Mon National Liberation Army (Anti-Military Dictatorship) | MNLA-AMD | 2024 | 300 [10] | Unknown | Mon State | Armed wing of the New Mon State Party (Anti-Dictatorship) |
|
Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army | MNDAA | 1989 | 2,000 [49] –4,000 [50] (2016) | Mobile headquarters | Shan State (Kokang) |
|
|
Burma National Revolutionary Army | MRDA | 2022 | 1,000+ [51] | Pale | Sagaing Region | Formerly known as the Myanmar Royal Dragon Army | |
National Democratic Alliance Army | NDAA | 1989 | 3,000 [52] –4,000 [21] (2016) | Mong La | Shan State | Split from the Communist Party of Burma after its dissolution | |
National Liberation Army | NLA | 2023 | Unknown | Tamu Township | Sagaing Region (Tamu Township) | Formerly the PDF Tamu Battalion 3 | |
National Socialist Council of Nagaland |
| 1980 | <500 (2016) [53] |
| Part of the UNLFW |
| |
New Democratic Army – Kachin |
| 1989 | 700 (peak) [56] | Pangwa | Kachin State | Signed a ceasefire agreement with the government in 1989 and transformed into a Border Guard Forces in 2009 | |
Pa-O National Army | PNA | 1949 | 4,000 (2023) [57] | Taunggyi | Shan State | Armed wing of the Pa-O National Organisation |
|
Pa-O National Liberation Army | PNLA | 2009 | 1,000+ (2024) [10] [21] [58] | Camp Laybwer | Armed wing of the Pa-O National Liberation Organisation | Split into a pro-peace talk and anti-junta faction in January 2024 [10] | |
People's Defence Force | 2021 | 100,000 (2024 est.) [59] | Armed wing of the National Unity Government (NUG) |
| |||
People's Defence Force (Kalay) | PDF (Kalay) | 2021 | Unknown | Kalay | Sagaing Region | Part of the People's Defence Force | |
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. [60] [61] | ||
People's Liberation Army of Manipur | PLAM | 1978 | 3,800 (2008) | Manipur | Part of CorCom | ||
People's Revolution Alliance (Magway) | PRA (Magway) | 2021 | Unknown | Mobile headquarters | |||
People's Revolutionary Party of Kangleipak | PREPAK | 1977 | ~200 (2012) [64] | Mobile headquarters | Sagaing Region | Part of CorCom | |
Rohingya Solidarity Organisation | RSO | 1982 [65] | Unknown |
| |||
Shanni Nationalities Army | SNA | 2016 | 1,000+ (2019) [67] | Mobile headquarters | Kachin State | Allies with the Shan State Army (RCSS) and the Tatmadaw | |
Shan State Army (SSPP) [lower-alpha 1] | SSPP/SSA | 1971 | 10,000 (2023) [68] | Wan Hai | Shan State |
| Declared war on the junta on 20 February 2024, after previously accepting a ceasefire in 2012. |
Shan State Army (RCSS) [lower-alpha 1] | RCSS/SSA | 1996 | 8,000 (2024) [10] | Loi Tai Leng |
| Split from the Mong Tai Army in 1995 | |
Wuyang People's Militia | LEM/LNDP | 2013 | 100 (2022) [69] | Myitkyina | Kachin State | Armed wing of the Lisu National Development Party |
|
Student Armed Force | SAF | 2021 | Unknown | Mobile headquarters | |||
Ta'ang National Liberation Army | TNLA | 1992 | 10,000–15,000 (2023) [70] | Mobile headquarters | Shan State |
| Governs the Pa Laung Self-Administered Zone |
United Liberation Front of Asom-Independent | ULFA-I | 1979 | 200 (2024) | Taga, Sagaing (until 2019) [27] | Part of the UNLFW |
| |
United National Liberation Front | UNLF | 1964 | 2,000 | Manipur | Part of CorCom |
| |
United Wa State Army | UWSA | 1989 | 25,000 (2015) [73] | Pangkham | Shan State |
| Governs the Wa Self-Administered Division (Wa State) [74] |
Wa National Army | WNA | 1969 | 200 (1998) [75] | Homein | Shan State |
| Signed a peace agreement with the government in August 1997 |
Zomi Revolutionary Army | ZRA-EC | 1997 | 3,000 (2016) [21] | Churachandpur | Armed wing of the Zomi Revolutionary Organisation |
Name | Abbreviation | Founded | Disbanded | Strength | Headquarters | Location | Affiliations | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Arakan Rohingya Islamic Front | ARIF | 1986 [77] | 1998 | Unknown | Mobile headquarters | |||
National Democratic Front of Boroland | NDFB | 1986 | 2020 | 3,000+ | Taga, Sagaing (until 2019) [27] | Part of the UNLFW |
| |
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 [78] | Pangkham (until 1989) | Shan State | Armed wing dissolved in 1989 | |
Democratic Karen Buddhist Army | DKBA | 1994 | 2010 | <5,000 [21] | Mobile headquarters | Kayin State |
| |
God's Army | 1997 | 2006 | 500 [79] | Mobile headquarters | Myanmar–Thailand border | Surrendered to government forces in 2006 | ||
Mongko Region Defence Army | MRDA | 1995 [80] [81] | 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 [82] [83] | 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 | |
Red Flag Communist Party | RFCP | 1948 | 1978 | 500 [84] | Mobile headquarters | Shan State | Split from the Communist Party of Burma | |
Rohingya Liberation Party | RLP | 1972 | 1974 | 800–2,500 [85] [ 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 [85] | 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) [86] | 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 |
|
The Karen National Union is a political organisation with an armed wing, the Karen National Liberation Army (KNLA), that claims to represent the Karen people of Myanmar. It operates in mountainous eastern Myanmar and has underground networks in other areas of Myanmar where Karen people live as a minority group.
Insurgencies have been ongoing in Myanmar since 1948, the year the country, then known as Burma, gained independence from the United Kingdom. The conflict has largely been ethnic-based, with several ethnic armed groups fighting Myanmar's armed forces, the Tatmadaw, for self-determination. Despite numerous ceasefires and the creation of autonomous self-administered zones in 2008, many armed groups continue to call for independence, increased autonomy, or the federalisation of the country. The conflict is the world's longest ongoing civil war, having spanned more than seven decades.
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The Kachin conflict or the Kachin War is one of the multiple conflicts which are collectively referred to as the internal conflict in Myanmar. Kachin insurgents have been fighting against the Tatmadaw since 1961, with only one major ceasefire being brokered between them, which lasted from 1994 to 2011, a total of 17 years.
The Arakan Army, officially the Arakha Army is an ethnic armed organisation based in Rakhine State (Arakan). Founded on 10 April 2009, the AA is the military wing of the United League of Arakan (ULA). It is currently led by Commander-in-Chief Major General Twan Mrat Naing and vice deputy commander-in-chief Brigadier General Nyo Twan Awng. The Arakan Army states that the objective of its armed revolution is to restore the sovereignty of the Arakan people. In a February 2024 interview, Twan Mrat Naing claimed that the AA had grown to at least 38,000 troops. Anthony Davis, an expert of military and security, rejected this claim and estimated that it has at least 15,000 troops in Chin State and Rakhine State, in addition to around 1500 in Kachin State and Shan State. In the early 2010s, the Arakan Army fought alongside the Kachin Independence Army (KIA) against the Tatmadaw in the Kachin conflict. Following the 2016 outbreak of conflict in Rakhine state, AA became more heavily involved in the Arakan region. In 2019, AA launched attacks on state security forces and the Myanmar Army responded, heightening clashes. The AA reached a ceasefire in late 2020 after eroding the central government's control in northern Rakhine. The power vacuum was filled by the AA over the next 18 months with state-building efforts, like their COVID-19 vaccine rollouts.
The Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army (MNDAA) is an armed resistance group in the Kokang region of Myanmar (Burma). The army has existed since 1989, having been the first one to sign a ceasefire agreement with the Burmese government. The ceasefire lasted for about two decades.
The Arakan Liberation Army is a Rakhine insurgent group in Myanmar (Burma). It is the armed wing of the Arakan Liberation Party (ALP). The ALA signed a ceasefire agreement with the government of Myanmar on 5 April 2012.
Border Guard Forces are subdivisions of the Tatmadaw consisting of former insurgent groups in Myanmar under the instruction of Regional Military Commands. The government announced its plan to create Border Guard Forces in April 2009, in the hopes of ending hostilities between the government and insurgent groups leading up to the 2010 general election.
The Pa-O National Liberation Army is a Pa-O insurgent group in Myanmar (Burma). It is the armed wing of the Pa-O National Liberation Organisation.
The Kuki National Army (KNA) is a Kuki insurgent group active in Myanmar,but not functioning properly in Northeast India. It is the armed wing of the Kuki National Organisation.
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The Karenni Nationalities Defence Force is an armed insurgent group in Myanmar formed in response to the 2021 Myanmar coup d'état. The KNDF also includes other organizations, such as the KNPP, which an official regard as "good relations between the EAOs and the public" The KNDF has engaged in fighting with the junta, mainly with the 66th Light Infantry Division.
On the night of 23 October 2022, the Myanmar Air Force launched a series of airstrikes in Hpakant Township, Kachin State, Northern Myanmar. The targeted area was within the territory of the Kachin Independence Organization's 9th Brigade in the Anangpa (အနန့်ပါ) area. The airstrikes hit an outdoor concert killing at least 80 civilians, including KIO officials and musical performers.
The following is a timeline of major events during the Myanmar civil war (2021–present), following the 2021 military coup d'état and protests. It was also a renewed intensity in existing internal conflict in Myanmar.
Operation 1027 is an ongoing military offensive conducted by the Three Brotherhood Alliance, a military coalition composed of three ethnic armed organisations in Myanmar: the Arakan Army (AA), Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army (MNDAA), and Ta'ang National Liberation Army (TNLA), allied with other rebel forces in the country, against the Tatmadaw, Myanmar's ruling military junta.
The Three Brotherhood Alliance ;, also known as Brotherhood Alliance, is an alliance between the Arakan Army, Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army, and the Ta'ang National Liberation Army formed in June 2019.
The 7 EAO Alliance is a coalition of seven ethnic armed organizations (EAOs) in Myanmar.
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.
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: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)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.