List of insurgent groups in Myanmar

This is an incomplete list of insurgent groups in Myanmar (also known as Burma).

Active combatants

Name	Abbreviation	Founded	Strength	Headquarters	Location	Affiliations	Notes
Arakan Army (Kachin State)	AA (Kachin)	2009	1,500–2,500[1][2]	Laiza	Kachin State, Rakhine State		Close allies with the Kachin Independence Army.
Arakan Army (Kayin State)	AA (Kayin)	2010	30[3]–350+	Mobile headquarters	Kayin State	Armed wing of the Arakan National Council.
Faith Movement of Arakan	FMA	2016	300–400[4][5]	Mobile headquarters	Rakhine State, Myanmar-Bangladesh border		Claimed responsibility for attacks on Burmese border posts along the Myanmar-Bangladesh border in 2016.[5]
Kachin Independence Army	KIA	1961	8,000[6]	Laiza	Kachin State	Military wing of the Kachin Independence Organisation; member of the United Nationalities Federal Council (UNFC).[7]	Holds and governs territory in Kachin State.[8]
Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army	MNDAA	1989	2,000[9]–4,000[10]	Mobile headquarters	Shan State	Armed wing of the Kokang Democracy Party.	Split from the Communist Party of Burma after its dissolution.
Ta’ang National Liberation Army	TNLA	1992	1,500[11]–3,500[12]	Mobile headquarters	Shan State	Member of the United Nationalities Federal Council (UNFC).[7]	Governs the Pa Laung Self-Administered Zone.
Zomi Revolutionary Army	ZRA	1997	3,000[1]	Churachandpur	Chin State, Myanmar-India border	Armed wing of the Zomi Revolutionary Organisation.	Only minor skirmishes in Myanmar.

Ceasefire groups

Name	Abbreviation	Founded	Ceasefire	Strength	Headquarters	Location	Affiliations	Notes
All Burma Students' Democratic Front	ABSDF	1988	2015[13]	600[14]–1,000[15]	Several across Myanmar and abroad	Myanmar-Thailand border, Myanmar-India border, Myanmar-China border
Arakan Liberation Army	ALA	1968	2012, 2015[13]	60–100[16]	Sittwe	Kayin State, Rakhine State		Close allies with the Karen National Union.
Chin National Army	CNA	1988	2012, 2015[13]	200+[17][15]	Hakha	Chin State	Armed wing of the Chin National Front; member of the United Nationalities Federal Council (UNFC).[7]
Democratic Karen Buddhist Army - Brigade 5	DKBA-5	2010	2011	1,500+[1][18]	Sonesee Myaing	Myawaddy Township, Kayin State		Formerly part of the Democratic Karen Buddhist Army until 2010.
Karen National Defence Organisation	KNDO	1949	2012, 2015[13]	Unknown	Lay Wah, Manerplaw (until 1995)	Kayah State, Kayin State	Affiliate of the Karen National Union.
Karen National Liberation Army	KNLA	1949	2012, 2015[13]	5,000[19][15]–7,000[20]	Lay Wah, Manerplaw (until 1995)	Kayah State, Kayin State	Armed wing of the Karen National Union; member of the United Nationalities Federal Council (UNFC).[7]
Karenni Army	KA/KNPP	1949	2005, 2012	500[15]–1,500[20]	Nya Moe[21]	Kayah State	Armed wing of the Karenni National Progressive Party; member of the United Nationalities Federal Council (UNFC).[7]
Mon National Liberation Army	MNLA	1958	1995, 2012	800+ (2,000–5,000 reserves)[22]	Ye Chaung Phya	Mon State	Armed wing of the New Mon State Party.
National Democratic Alliance Army	NDAA-ESS	1989	1989, 2011	3,000[23]–4,000[1]	Mong La	Shan State		Split from the Communist Party of Burma after its dissolution.
Pa-O National Liberation Army	PNLA	2009	2012	400+[1][24]	Camp Laybwer	Shan State, Myanmar-Thailand border	Armed wing of the Pa-O National Liberation Organisation.
Shan State Army - North	SSA-N	1971	1989, 2012	8,000[1]	Wan Hai	Shan State	Armed wing of the Shan State Progress Party; member of the United Nationalities Federal Council (UNFC).[7]
Shan State Army - South	SSA-S	1996	2012, 2015	6,000[20]–8,000[1]	Loi Tai Leng	Shan State, Myanmar-Thailand border	Armed wing of the Restoration Council of Shan State; member of the Shan State Congress.	Split from the Mong Tai Army in 1995.
United Wa State Army	UWSA	1988	1989, 2011	20,000[25]–25,000[26]	Pangkham	Shan State	Armed wing of the United Wa State Party.	Currently governs the Wa Self-Administered Division (Wa State) as a de facto military junta.[27]
Wa National Army	WNA	1969	1997	200[15]	Homein	Shan State	Armed wing of the Wa National Organisation; member of the United Nationalities Federal Council (UNFC).[7]	Signed a peace agreement with the government in August 1997.

Defunct insurgent groups

Name	Abbreviation	Founded	Disbanded	Strength	Headquarters	Location	Affiliations	Notes
Arakan Rohingya Islamic Front	ARIF	1986	2001	Unknown	Mobile headquarters	Rakhine State
Arakan Rohingya National Organization	ARNO	1986	2001	200	Sittwe	Rakhine State
Communist Party of Burma	CPB	1939	1988	6,000[28]	Mobile headquarters	Shan State		Armed wing disbanded in 1988.
Democratic Karen Buddhist Army	DKBA	1994	2010	<5,000[1]	Manerplaw (until 1995)	Kayin State		Signed a ceasefire agreement shortly after its formation in 1994; disbanded in 2010. Split from the Karen National Union.
God's Army		1997	2006	500 (peak)[29]	Mobile headquarters	Myanmar-Thailand border		Surrendered to government forces in 2006.
Kachin Defense Army	KDA	1961	2010	1,500[30]	Kawnghka	Shan State		Originated as the Kachin Independence Army's 4th brigade.
Karenni National People's Liberation Front	KNPLF	1978	2009	4,000[31]	Mobile headquarters	Kayah State		Split from the Karenni Army. Signed a ceasefire agreement in 1989, transformed into a BGF in 2009.
Mong Tai Army	MTA	1985	1996	20,000	Mobile headquarters	Shan State, Myanmar-Thailand border		Surrendered to government forces in 1996.
Monland Restoration Army	MRA	2001	2012	100–300[32][33]	Sangkhlaburi	Mon State, Tanintharyi Region	Armed wing of the Hongsawatoi Restoration Party.	Surrendered to government forces in 2012.
Mujahideen		1947	1970	2,000	Mayu	Rakhine State		Majority of fighters surrendered to government forces in the late 1960s.
National Socialist Council of Nagaland	NSCN-K	1980	2012	<500[34]	Mobile headquarters	Sagaing Region		NSCN faction in Myanmar (NSCN-K) largely defunct after the creation of the Naga Self-Administered Zone in 2010. Signed a ceasefire agreement with the government and disbanded in 2012.
New Democratic Army - Kachin	NDA-K	1989	2009	700 (peak)[35]	Pang Wa	Shan State		Signed a ceasefire agreement with the government in 1989. Agreed to become a "border guard force" in 2009.
Pa-O National Army	PNA	1949	1991	Unknown	Taunggyi	Shan State	Armed wing of the Pa-O National Organisation.	Disbanded in 1991 and became a political party. Currently governs the Pa-O Self-Administered Zone.
Red Flags	RFCP	1948	1978	500[36]	Mobile headquarters	Shan State		Split from the Communist Party of Burma (White flags).
Rohingya Liberation Party	RLP	1972	1974	800–2,500[37]		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	2015(?)	Unknown	Mobile headquarters	Rakhine State, Myanmar-Bangladesh border	Formed from an alliance between the Rohingya Solidarity Organization (RSO), the Arakan Rohingya National Organization (ARNO), and the Arakan Rohingya Islamic Front (ARIF).	Largely defunct after 2001, with only one terrorist attack attributed to the group in 2015.
Rohingya Patriotic Front	RPF	1974	1980s	70[37]	Mobile headquarters	Rakhine State
Rohingya Solidarity Organisation	RSO	1980s	2001		Mayu	Rakhine State, Myanmar-Bangladesh border	Allegedly had connections with the Taliban and Al-Qaeda.	Mainly active in the 1990s; largely defunct after 2001.
Shan State Army	SSA	1964	1976	1,500	Mobile headquarters	Shan State		Formed the basis for the Shan State Army - North and Shan State Army - South. Fought other insurgent groups such as the Communist Party of Burma.
Shan State National Army	SSNA	1995	2005	8,000 (peak)[38]	Hsipaw	Shan State		Merged with the Shan State Army - South in 2005.
Shan United Revolutionary Army	SURA	Unknown	1996	Unknown	Mobile headquarters	Shan State, Myanmar-Thailand border		Majority of insurgents surrendered to government forces in 1996. 800 insurgents under the command of Yawd Serk would go on to form the Shan State Army - South.
Vigorous Burmese Student Warriors	VBSW	1999	2013	Unknown	Mobile headquarters	Myanmar-Thailand border		Since 2013, no insurgent or terror related activity has been attributed to the VBSW, suggesting that it may be inactive or have been disbanded following political reforms in Myanmar.[39] Gained notoriety in October 1999 by raiding and holding hostages at the Burmese consulate in Bangkok, Thailand.

See also

• Internal conflict in Myanmar
• List of political and military organisations in Myanmar

References

1. "Armed ethnic groups". Myanmar Peace Monitor.
2. "'I Want to Stress That We Are Not the Enemy'". Retrieved 28 September 2015.
3. "AA (Karen Region)". www.mmpeacemonitor.org.
4. "Myanmar policemen killed in Rakhine border attack". BBC News. 9 October 2016. Retrieved 12 October 2016.
5. "Islamist fears rise in Rohingya-linked violence". Bangkok Post. Post Publishing PCL. Retrieved 5 November 2016.
6. AP, 4 May 2012, Myanmar state media report battles between government troops, Kachin rebels killed 31
7. O2. "Peace Process Overview".
8. "Burma attack breaks Kachin truce near China border". BBC. 20 January 2013. 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.
9. "MNDAA". Myanmar Peace Monitor.
10. "47 Govt Troops Killed, Tens of Thousands Flee Heavy Fighting in Shan State". irrawaddy.org.
11. "TNLA". Myanmar Peace Monitor.
12. Larsen, Niels (23 April 2015). "On Patrol With Myanmar Rebels Fighting Both the Army and Drug Addiction - VICE News". VICE News (Crime and Drugs).
13. 15 October 2015. "Myanmar Signs Historic Cease-Fire Deal With Eight Ethnic Armies". Radio Free Asia. Retrieved 3 March 2016.
14. "ABSDF". Myanmar Peace Monitor.
15. I. Rotberg, Robert (1998). Burma: Prospects for a Democratic Future. Brookings Institution Press. ISBN 0815791690.
16. "ALP". Myanmar Peace Monitor.
17. O2. "CNF".
18. Bangok Post, PEACE MAY PROVE ELUSIVE AS DIVISIONS SAP STRENGTH OF KAREN NATIONAL UNION by, Saw Yan Naing, 14 October 2012, http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/investigation/316916/peace-may-prove-elusive-as-divisions-sap-strength-of-karen-national-union
19. "Asia Times - News and analysis from throughout Southeast Asia".
20. Burma center for Ethnic Studies, Jan. 2012, "Briefing Paper No. 1" http://www.burmalibrary.org/docs13/BCES-BP-01-ceasefires(en).pdf
21. Murray, Lucy. "Karenni rebels dig in for last stand". Asia Times.
22. "NMSP". Myanmar Peace Monitor.
23. "NDAA". Myanmar Peace Monitor. Retrieved 2016-02-28.
24. "PNLO". Myanmar Peace Monitor.
25. Johnson, Tim (29 August 2009). China Urges Burma to Bridle Ethnic Militia Uprising at Border. The Washington Post.
26. Davis, Anthony. "Wa army fielding new Chinese artillery, ATGMs". IHS Jane's Defence Weekly. Retrieved 23 July 2015.
27. Luke Gerdes (8 February 2009). "Constructing Terror: How Issues of Construct Validity Undermine the Utility of Terror Databases and Statistical Analyses of Terrorism". All Academic Research. 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.
28. Richard Michael Gibson (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.
29. Mydans, Seth (1 April 2000). "Burmese Rebel Chief More Boy Than Warrior". NY Times. Retrieved 2 November 2013.
30. "Burmanet » Kachin News Group: KDA transformed to militia groups by Burma junta". www.burmanet.org. Retrieved 22 January 2016.
31. "Karenni National People's Liberation Front".
32. "Ceasefire celebration noticeably absent". Independent Mon News Agency. Independent Mon news Agency. 29 June 2010. Retrieved 2 January 2016.
33. The Irrawaddi - Precarious Peace in Monland
34. O2. "NSCN-K".
35. "New Democratic Army - Kachin". Mizzima News.
36. Schmid, Alex Peter, A.J. Jongman, and Michael Stohl. Political Terrorism: A New Guide to Actors, Authors, Concepts, Data Bases, Theories, and Literature. New Brunswick, N.J.: Transaction Publishers, 2005. p. 514
37. Pho Kan Kaung (May 1992). The Danger of Rohingya. Myet Khin Thit Magazine No. 25. pp. 87–103.
38. Chronology for Shans in Burma
39. "Vigorous Burmese Student Warriors". Tracking Terrorism.

External links

• Myanmar Peace Monitor – NGO based in Chaing Mai, Thailand that monitors Myanmar's ongoing peace process.
• Pyidaungsu Institute – Political institute based in Chaing Mai, Thailand focused on achieving political stability and peace in Myanmar.