List of ethnic armed organisations in Myanmar

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.

Terminology

The term "ethnic armed organisation" (Burmese: တိုင်းရင်းသား လက်နက်ကိုင် အဖွဲ့အစည်း) emerged in Myanmar during the Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement negotiations from 2013 to 2015. 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
• aim to garner mutual recognition from other ethnic armed organisations through alliances and coalitions
• have an armed wing, and often a separate political wing

Active

Name	Abbreviation	Founded	Strength	Headquarters	Location	Affiliations	Notes
Arakan Army	AA	2009	30,000 (2021)	Laiza	Chin State Kachin State Rakhine State Shan State Bangladesh–Myanmar border India–Myanmar border	Armed wing of the United League of Arakan Part of the Three Brotherhood Alliance Part of the Northern Alliance Part of the Federal Political Negotiation and Consultative Committee
Arakan Army (Kayin State)	AA (Kayin)	2010	100 (2016)	Mobile headquarters	Kayin State	Armed wing of the Arakan National Council Part of the United Nationalities Federal Council
All Burma Students' Democratic Front	ABSDF	1988	600 (2016)	Manerplaw (until 1995)	Myanmar–Thailand border India–Myanmar border China–Myanmar border		Joined the CRPH / NUG after the 2021 Myanmar coup d'état
Arakan Liberation Army	ALA	1968	60–100 (2016)	Sittwe	Kayin State Rakhine State	Armed wing of the Arakan Liberation Party	Close allies with the Karen National Union Joined the CRPH / NUG after the 2021 Myanmar coup d'état
Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army	ARSA	2013	~200 (2018)	Mobile headquarters	Rakhine State Bangladesh–Myanmar border		Previously known as Harakah al-Yaqin Designated as a "terrorist group" by Myanmar's counter-terrorism law
Bamar People's Liberation Army	BPLA	2021	1,000+	Mobile headquarters	Eastern Myanmar		Co-founded by activist Maung Saungkha
Chin National Army	CNA	1988	200+ (2016)	Camp Victoria	Chin State	Armed wing of the Chin National Front Part of the United Nationalities Federal Council (UNFC)	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
Chinland Defense Force	CDF	2021	Unknown	Mobile headquarters	Chin State Magway Region Sagaing Region India–Myanmar border
Democratic Karen Buddhist Army – Brigade 5	DKBA-5	2010	1,500+ (2016)	Sonesee Myaing	Myawaddy Township Kayin State		Split from the Democratic Karen Buddhist Army in 2010
Kachin Independence Army	KIA	1961	20,000 (2018)	Laiza Pajau (until 2005)	Kachin State, northern Shan State	Armed wing of the Kachin Independence Organisation Part of the United Nationalities Federal Council (UNFC) Part of the Northern Alliance Part of the Federal Political Negotiation and Consultative Committee	Holds and governs territory in Kachin State
Karen National Defence Organisation	KNDO	1947	Unknown	Lay Wah Manerplaw (until 1995)	Kayah State Kayin State	Affiliate of the Karen National Union	Signed ceasefires with the government in 2012 and 2015 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)	Lay Wah Manerplaw (until 1995)	Kayah State Kayin State Tanintharyi Region	Armed wing of the Karen National Union Part of the United Nationalities Federal Council (UNFC)	Broke its commitment to the Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement in response to the 2021 Myanmar coup d'état
Karenni Army	KA	1949	1,500 (2012)	Nya Moe	Kayah State	Armed wing of the Karenni National Progressive Party Part of the United Nationalities Federal Council (UNFC)	Signed ceasefires with the government in 2005 and 2012 Resumed hostilities in response to the 2021 Myanmar coup d'état
Karenni National People's Liberation Front	KNPLF	1978	2,000	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+	Mobile headquarters	Kayah State Shan State Kayin State Myanmar–Thailand border
KNU/KNLA Peace Council	KPC	2007	<200 (2016)	To-kawko	Kayin State	Not affiliated with the KNU or KNLA, despite its name
Kuki National Army	KNA(B)	1988	200+ (2016)	Mobile headquarters	Chin State Sagaing Region	Armed wing of the Kuki National Organisation
Lahu Democratic Union	LDU	Unknown	Unknown	Mobile headquarters	Shan State		Signed the Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement in 2018, along with the Mon National Liberation Army Joined the CRPH / NUG after the 2021 Myanmar coup d'état
Mon National Liberation Army	MNLA	1958	3,000–5,000 (2016)	Ye Chaung Phya	Mon State Tanintharyi Region	Armed wing of the New Mon State Party	Signed the Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement in 2018, along with the Lahu Democratic Union
Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army	MNDAA	1989	2,000–4,000 (2016)	Mobile headquarters	Shan State (Kokang)	Armed wing of the Myanmar National Truth and Justice Party Part of the Three Brotherhood Alliance Part of the Northern Alliance Part of the Federal Political Negotiation and Consultative Committee	Split from the Communist Party of Burma after its dissolution
Myanmar Royal Dragon Army	MRDA	2022	1,000+	Pale	Sagaing Region
National Democratic Alliance Army	NDAA	1989	3,000–4,000 (2016)	Mong La	Shan State	Part of the Federal Political Negotiation and Consultative Committee	Split from the Communist Party of Burma after its dissolution
National Socialist Council of Nagaland	NSCN-K	1980	<500 (2016)	Mobile headquarters	Sagaing Region (Naga Self-Administered Zone) India–Myanmar border		Signed a ceasefire with India in 2001 and Myanmar in 2012
People's Defence Force	PDF	2021	65,000 (2022 est.)			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	Magway Region India–Myanmar border
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.
Pa-O National Army	PNA	1949	4,000 (2023)	Taunggyi	Shan State	Armed wing of the Pa-O National Organisation	Governs the Pa-O Self-Administered Zone Signed a ceasefire with the government in 1991 and disbanded in 2009 Reestablished after the 2021 Myanmar coup d'état
Pa-O National Liberation Army	PNLA	2009	400+ (2016)	Camp Laybwer	Shan State Myanmar–Thailand border	Armed wing of the Pa-O National Liberation Organisation
Rohingya Solidarity Organisation	RSO	1982	Unknown		Rakhine State Bangladesh–Myanmar border		Mainly active in the 1990s, militarily defunct by 1998 Alleged by the Tatmadaw to have had connections with the Taliban and Al-Qaeda in the early 2000s Reestablished after the 2021 Myanmar coup d'état
Shanni Nationalities Army	SNA	2016	1,000+ (2019)	Mobile headquarters	Kachin State		Allies with the Shan State Army – South and the Tatmadaw
Shan State Army – North	SSA-N	1971	8,000 (2016)	Wan Hai	Shan State	Armed wing of the Shan State Progress Party Part of the United Nationalities Federal Council (UNFC) Part of the Federal Political Negotiation and Consultative Committee
Shan State Army – South	SSA-S	1996	8,000 (2016)	Loi Tai Leng	Shan State Myanmar–Thailand border	Armed wing of the Restoration Council of Shan State Part of the Shan State Congress	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)	Mobile headquarters	Shan State	Part of the United Nationalities Federal Council (UNFC) Part of the Three Brotherhood Alliance Part of the Northern Alliance Part of the Federal Political Negotiation and Consultative Committee	Governs the Pa Laung Self-Administered Zone
United Wa State Army	UWSA	1989	25,000 (2015)	Pangkham	Shan State	Armed wing of the United Wa State Party Part of the Federal Political Negotiation and Consultative Committee	Governs the Wa Self-Administered Division (Wa State)
Wa National Army	WNA	1969	200 (1998)	Homein	Shan State	Armed wing of the Wa National Organisation Part of the United Nationalities Federal Council (UNFC)	Signed a peace agreement with the government in August 1997
Zomi Revolutionary Army	ZRA-EC	1997	3,000 (2016)	Churachandpur	Chin State India–Myanmar border	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	1998	Unknown	Mobile headquarters	Rakhine State Bangladesh–Myanmar border
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	Pangkham (until 1989)	Shan State		Armed wing dissolved in 1989
Democratic Karen Buddhist Army	DKBA	1994	2010	<5,000	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	Mobile headquarters	Myanmar–Thailand border		Surrendered to government forces in 2006
Kachin Defense Army	KDA	1961	2010	1,500	Kawnghka	Shan State		Originated as the Kachin Independence Army's 4th brigade
Mongko Region Defence Army	MRDA	1995	2000	Unknown	Mongko	Shan State China–Myanmar border		Split from the Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army
Mong Tai Army	MTA	1985	1996	20,000	Homein	Shan State Myanmar–Thailand border		Surrendered to the government in 1996
Monland Restoration Army	MRA	2001	2012	100–300	Sangkhlaburi	Mon State Tanintharyi Region	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)	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	Mobile headquarters	Shan State		Split from the Communist Party of Burma
Rohingya Liberation Party	RLP	1972	1974	800–2,500	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	Rakhine State Bangladesh–Myanmar border	Armed wing of the Arakan Rohingya National Organisation (ARNO)
Rohingya Patriotic Front	RPF	1974	1980s	70	Mobile headquarters	Rakhine State
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 Also fought other insurgent groups such as the Communist Party of Burma
Shan State National Army	SSNA	1995	2005	8,000 (peak)	Hsipaw	Shan State		Merged with the Shan State Army – South in 2005
Shan United Revolutionary Army	SURA	1960	1996	Unknown	Homein	Shan State Myanmar–Thailand border		Majority of its members surrendered to the government 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		No insurgent or terror activity has been attributed to the VBSW since 2013 Gained notoriety in the October 1999 siege of the Burmese consulate in Bangkok, Thailand

Coalitions

Name	Abbreviation	Founded	Headquarters	Members	Notes
Federal Union Army	FUA	2011	Chiang Mai	Arakan Army Karenni Army Lahu Democratic Union New Mon State Party Shan State Army – North	Armed wing of the United Nationalities Federal Council
Northern Alliance	NA-B	2016	Laiza	Arakan Army Kachin Independence Army Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army Ta'ang National Liberation Army	All four members of the Northern Alliance are also members of the Federal Political Negotiation and Consultative Committee
Three Brotherhood Alliance		2019		Arakan Army Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army Ta'ang National Liberation Army
4K Alliance		2023		Karen National Liberation Army Karenni Army Karenni National People's Liberation Front Karenni Nationalities Defence Force	Alliance of ethnic Karen rebel organisations.

See also

• Combatants of the internal conflict in Myanmar
• List of political and military organisations in Myanmar