The Karenni Nationalities Defence Force ( my, ကရင်နီအမျိုးသားများကာကွယ်ရေးတပ်ဖွဲ့, abbreviated: KNDF) is an armed insurgent group in

Myanmar Myanmar, ; UK pronunciations: US pronunciations incl. . Note: Wikipedia's IPA conventions require indicating /r/ even in British English although only some British English speakers pronounce r at the end of syllables. As John C. Wells, Joh ...

formed in response to the

2021 Myanmar coup d'état A coup d'état in Myanmar began on the morning of 1 February 2021, when democratically elected members of the country's ruling party, the National League for Democracy (NLD), were deposed by the Tatmadaw—Myanmar's military—which then veste ...

. The group contains the PDFs formed by the National Unity Government. 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 Junta may refer to: Government and military * Junta (governing body) (from Spanish), the name of various historical and current governments and governing institutions, including civil ones ** Military junta, one form of junta, government led by ...

, mainly with the 66th Light Infantry Division. On 6 June 2023, the KNDF issued a report on two-year anniversary of their founding. They stated that they have established 22 battalions and six military strategies. They also claimed that the junta now has control over Loikaw and other urban wards only, and most areas in the state are under the control of the resistance groups.

Objective

In an interview, the spokesperson of the KNDF told media groups that the KNDF is a fusion of all Karenni State's dispersed youth forces. Uniting them to more effectively fight the junta. It was also stated that they have a shortage of weapons and ammunition. The objective is the same as that of other resistance groups in Myanmar; to overthrow the military junta. It is also to ensure the unity of the people in Karenni State, encourage collaboration and pay special attention to the Karenni National Progressive Party's position.

Defence Policy

The KNDF, which was founded alongside the regional PDFs and other militias, follows the NUG and CRPH's defence policy, according to the KNDF's spokesperson. The NUG's Ministry of Defence published a seven-point defense policy with the goal of ensuring that the defense industry is democratically controlled and operates according to a

federal system Federalism is a combined or compound mode of government that combines a general government (the central or "federal" government) with regional governments ( provincial, state, cantonal, territorial, or other sub-unit governments) in a single po ...

. The policy encompasses leadership, defence policy formulation and execution, legislative and judicial checks and balances on the military sector, defence administration, the enforcement of internationally recognized laws and ethics, title and duty designation, financial management, and resource sharing. According to the KNDF's spokesman, the KNDF, which was founded in accordance with the NUG's defense plans, has three Karenni State-based PDFs, two Shan State-based PDFs, and several EAOs.

Conflicts

The KNDF has been involved in the

Myanmar civil war 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 ...

since May 2021. In 2022, they engaged in 341 clashes with the regime killing 797 junta troops and suffering 65 losses.

References

{{Reflist 2021 establishments in Myanmar Military units and formations established in 2021 Paramilitary organisations based in Myanmar Rebel groups in Myanmar Karen people

Objective

Defence Policy

Conflicts

See also

References