The People's Defence Force is the armed wing of the
National Unity Government
A national unity government, government of national unity (GNU), or national union government is a broad coalition government consisting of all parties (or all major parties) in the legislature, usually formed during a time of war or other na ...
(NUG) in
Myanmar
Myanmar, officially the Republic of the Union of Myanmar; and also referred to as Burma (the official English name until 1989), is a country in northwest Southeast Asia. It is the largest country by area in Mainland Southeast Asia and has ...
. The armed wing was formed by the NUG from youths and
pro-democracy activists on 5 May 2021 in response to the coup d'état that
occurred on 1 February 2021 that put the
military junta
A military junta () is a system of government led by a committee of military leaders. The term ''Junta (governing body), junta'' means "meeting" or "committee" and originated in the Junta (Peninsular War), national and local junta organized by t ...
and their armed wing the
Tatmadaw
The Tatmadaw, also known as the Sit-Tat, is the armed forces of Myanmar (formerly Burma). It is administered by the Ministry of Defence and composed of the Myanmar Army, the Myanmar Navy and the Myanmar Air Force. Auxiliary services include ...
in power. The military junta designated it as a terrorist organisation on 8 May 2021. In October 2021, NUG's Ministry of Defence announced that it had formed a central committee to coordinate military operations across the country.
According to the NUG statement, the PDF is divided into five regional commands (Northern, Southern, Central, Eastern and Western commands), each mounting at least three brigades. Each brigade consists of five battalions, which divide into four companies.
On 13 July 2021, NUG's minister of defence
Yee Mon stated that the strength of the newly-formed militia was expected to reach 8,000 by the end of the month. Estimates by ''
The Irrawaddy
''The Irrawaddy'' () is a news website by the Irrawaddy Publishing Group (IPG), founded in 1990 by Burmese exiles living in Thailand. As a publication produced by former Burmese activists who fled violent crackdowns on anti-military protests in ...
'' put the PDF's numbers at 65,000 in November 2022.
More recent estimates put the PDF's strength at 100,000, even though not all are believed to be fully armed and trained.
The PDF's leadership endorse
guerrilla warfare
Guerrilla warfare is a form of unconventional warfare in which small groups of irregular military, such as rebels, partisans, paramilitary personnel or armed civilians, which may include recruited children, use ambushes, sabotage, terrori ...
tactics in pursuit of their aims. The military often called People Defence Force (PDF) as "ပဒတ်", especially during early years of formation, mainly due to their implementation of small, fragmented and guerilla warfare tactics with less sophisticated weapons.
History
Minister of Defence
Yee Mon announced on 16 April 2021 that NUG would establish an armed wing that would cooperate with various
ethnic armed organisations to launch an armed revolution against the
junta. On 5 May 2021, NUG announced the formation of the PDF as a "forerunner of the federal armed forces". It also stated that the PDF was formed in response to the violence happening throughout the country. On 28 May 2021, NUG released a video of the PDF's graduation ceremony, announcing that the armed wing was ready to challenge the junta's forces. On 7 September 2021, the NUG announced the launch of the "
People's Defensive War" against the military junta, and urged the citizens to revolt against the junta in every corner of the country.
On 7 September 2022, NUG acting president
Duwa Lashi La gave a speech on the one-year anniversary of the defensive war. He stated that the PDF suffered from 1,500 casualties within one year after the declaration, and that the junta was losing their territorial control. The NUG also stated that 2023 would be an important year as they would "successfully end the revolution in that year and six battlefronts would be opened to do so".
Starting from 2023, local PDFs have been reportedly planning to perform coordinated attacks against the regime as a "Phase 2 of the NUG's one year plan". On 5 May 2023, the NUG stated that around 300 battalions and columns have been established nationwide, as well as local PDFs in 250 townships. Duwa Lashi La also stated that the combating strength of the PDF is "now greater than that of the regime", and the PDF soldiers need equipment to defend against the regime's airstrike attacks. On 1 June 2023, the NUG announced the formation of the 5101st Battalion, the first military battalion based in Yangon Region.
Yangon Region clashes
On 14 August 2021, the PDF ambushed six heavily armed policemen who were travelling along the
Yangon Circular Railway. Five were killed. A sixth was injured but survived. Four automatic rifles were seized.
Shan State clashes
The PDF clashed with the
Tatmadaw
The Tatmadaw, also known as the Sit-Tat, is the armed forces of Myanmar (formerly Burma). It is administered by the Ministry of Defence and composed of the Myanmar Army, the Myanmar Navy and the Myanmar Air Force. Auxiliary services include ...
in
Muse
In ancient Greek religion and Greek mythology, mythology, the Muses (, ) were the Artistic inspiration, inspirational goddesses of literature, science, and the arts. They were considered the source of the knowledge embodied in the poetry, lyric p ...
on 23 May 2021, killing at least 13 members of Myanmar's security forces.
Another clash happened in the town of Moebyel, in which 20 members of the police force were killed.
On 20 January 2024, the
Tatmadaw
The Tatmadaw, also known as the Sit-Tat, is the armed forces of Myanmar (formerly Burma). It is administered by the Ministry of Defence and composed of the Myanmar Army, the Myanmar Navy and the Myanmar Air Force. Auxiliary services include ...
and the
Pa-O National Army (
PNA) attempted to confiscate the
Pa-O National Liberation Army (
PNLA)'s weapons.
A few days later, firefight broke out in
Hopong Township
Hopong Township () () is the capital Townships of Myanmar, township of Pa-O Self-Administered Zone in the Shan State of Myanmar (Burma). The principal town is Hopong.
Hopong has numerous tourist destinations, such as Htam Sam Cave and :my:မ� ...
. On 24 January 2024, the
PNLA, local
PDF
Portable document format (PDF), standardized as ISO 32000, is a file format developed by Adobe Inc., Adobe in 1992 to present documents, including text formatting and images, in a manner independent of application software, computer hardware, ...
forces, and the
KNDF attacked the PNO/Junta-controlled town of
Hsi Hseng. The
Tatmadaw
The Tatmadaw, also known as the Sit-Tat, is the armed forces of Myanmar (formerly Burma). It is administered by the Ministry of Defence and composed of the Myanmar Army, the Myanmar Navy and the Myanmar Air Force. Auxiliary services include ...
responded with airstrikes and shelling. PNLA retaliated with KNDF and local PDF forces and attacked the town of
Hsi Hseng,
Shan State
Shan State (, ; , ) is a administrative divisions of Myanmar, state of Myanmar. Shan State borders China (Yunnan) to the north, Laos (Louang Namtha Province, Louang Namtha and Bokeo Provinces) to the east, and Thailand (Chiang Rai Province, Chia ...
eventually capturing it on 26 January 2024.
Chin State clashes
Chin State saw some of the earliest armed resistance. Clashes were reported initially in late March 2021. Armed with traditional tumi guns, ethnic Chin inflicted casualties on the Tatmadaw. In early April 2021,
Chinland Defense Force (
CDF) was established. The Tatmadaw saw heavy casualties in clashes with
Mindat Mindat may refer to:
Places
* Mindat District, a district in Chin State, Myanmar (Burma), consisting of two townships and many villages
** Mindat Township, Myanmar
*** Mindat, Chin State, a town in Chin State, Myanmar, administrative seat of Mindat ...
branch of the CDF in late April and May 2021. CDF Mindat briefly occupied the town, but was forced to withdraw when the Tatmadaw used civilians as shields.
Chin National Army
The Chin National Army (; abbreviated CNA) is a Chin ethnic armed organisation in Myanmar (Burma). It is the armed wing of the Chin National Front (CNF), and was founded on 20 March 1988 alongside it. The CNA signed a ceasefire agreement with ...
, the existing Chin armed organisation, various township branches of the
CDF and
Chin National Defence Force (an armed Chin organization formed after the coup) came together to form a joint defence coordination body called Chinland Joint Defense Committee (CJDC). The total strength of active personnel under the command of CJDC was approximated to be around 13,000. From August to October 2021, it was reported that at least 40 clashes occurred between junta troops and CDF. CJDC claimed that at least 1,029
Tatmadaw
The Tatmadaw, also known as the Sit-Tat, is the armed forces of Myanmar (formerly Burma). It is administered by the Ministry of Defence and composed of the Myanmar Army, the Myanmar Navy and the Myanmar Air Force. Auxiliary services include ...
soldiers were killed in the clashes and lost 58 of their own in 2021.
Karenni State clashes
Karenni PDF launched attacks in
Demoso and
Bawlakhe townships, killing at least twenty
Tatmadaw
The Tatmadaw, also known as the Sit-Tat, is the armed forces of Myanmar (formerly Burma). It is administered by the Ministry of Defence and composed of the Myanmar Army, the Myanmar Navy and the Myanmar Air Force. Auxiliary services include ...
soldiers and police and burning down three outposts on 26 May 2021.
The Tatmadaw retaliated by shelling residential areas.
On 31 May 2021,
Karenni Nationalities Defence Force (
KNDF) was formed as a merger of scattered PDF groups in the
Karenni state and some local
Ethnic Armed Organisations. The main organisation was
Karenni National Progressive Party.
Sagaing clashes
The PDF, along with the
Kachin Independence Army
The Kachin Independence Army (KIA; Kachin: ''Wunpawng Mungdan Shanglawt Hpyen Dap''; ) is a non-state armed group and the military wing of the Kachin Independence Organization (KIO), a political group of ethnic Kachins in Northern Myanmar ...
, began assaults on the Tatmadaw positions in
Katha,
Sagaing
Sagaing (, ) is a town in the Sagaing Region of Myanmar. It is located on the Irrawaddy River, to the south-west of Mandalay on the opposite bank of the river. Sagaing, with its numerous Buddhist monasteries, is an important religious and ...
around the end of May 2021, killing eight regime soldiers and injuring thirteen. On 24 and 26 June 2021, combined PDF and
KIA forces clashed with the
Tatmadaw
The Tatmadaw, also known as the Sit-Tat, is the armed forces of Myanmar (formerly Burma). It is administered by the Ministry of Defence and composed of the Myanmar Army, the Myanmar Navy and the Myanmar Air Force. Auxiliary services include ...
, reportedly killing at least 44 regime troops.
On 15 January 2022, a combined force of PDF and
All Burma Students' Democratic Front
The All Burma Students' Democratic Front (; abbreviated ABSDF or မကဒတ) is an opposition group in Myanmar (also known as Burma). It was founded on 1 November 1988, after the 8888 protests in Yangon. The group's leadership consists mos ...
attacked two Tatmadaw ships approaching
Katha from
Shwegu using rocket-propelled grenades. This confrontation marks the first time
ABSDF
The All Burma Students' Democratic Front (; Abbreviation, abbreviated ABSDF or မကဒတ) is an opposition group in Myanmar (also known as Burma). It was founded on 1 November 1988, after the 8888 protests in Yangon. The group's leadership ...
had engaged the
Tatmadaw
The Tatmadaw, also known as the Sit-Tat, is the armed forces of Myanmar (formerly Burma). It is administered by the Ministry of Defence and composed of the Myanmar Army, the Myanmar Navy and the Myanmar Air Force. Auxiliary services include ...
since the beginning of the
coup, entering a war against the regime and openly siding with the PDF.
On 1 February 2023, a local PDF shot down a Tatmadaw
Mi-17 helicopter during a clash in
Shwepyiaye,
Homalin Township
Homalin Township ( ) is the only township of Homalin District () in the Sagaing Region of Myanmar (Burma). In 2022, the township was split out from Hkamti District to form the new Homalin District. The principal town is Homalin.[Monywa
Monywa (; ) is the largest city and capital city of Sagaing Region, Myanmar, located north-west of Mandalay on the eastern bank of the River Chindwin. Monywa is one of the largest economic cities in Myanmar. It is also known as 'Neem City' beca ...]
, as the junta leader
Min Aung Hlaing
Min Aung Hlaing (born 3 July 1956) is a Burmese army general who has ruled Myanmar as the chairman of the State Administration Council, chairman of the State Administration Council (SAC) since seizing power in the 2021 Myanmar coup d'état, Fe ...
was reportedly visiting there. Five out of eight mortar shells exploded on the checkpoint gates, and the regime troops are said to have retaliated with chemical bombs.
On 3 November 2023, the PDF and the
KIA launched an offensive in
Kawlin
Kawlin (ကောလင်းမြို့) is a town in the Sagaing Division in Myanmar. (page 43 in part B of volume 1 in the pdf file) Since December 2018 it has been the administration headquarters for Kawlin District as well as Kawlin Town ...
. The offensive took four days, ending with the defending junta troops surrendering with the white flag. On 6 November, the NUG announced that they were able to seize the town and posted a photo of the PDF flag being flown at the Kawlin District Administration Department. This was the first district-level town that the PDF was able to take over.
In December 2023,
KNA and PDF seized a base in
Tamu township,
Sagaing Region
Sagaing Region (, ; formerly Sagaing Division) is an administrative divisions of Myanmar, administrative region of Myanmar, located in the north-western part of the country between latitude 21° 30' north and longitude 94° 97' east. It is border ...
.
In the evening of 3 February 2024, the
Tatmadaw
The Tatmadaw, also known as the Sit-Tat, is the armed forces of Myanmar (formerly Burma). It is administered by the Ministry of Defence and composed of the Myanmar Army, the Myanmar Navy and the Myanmar Air Force. Auxiliary services include ...
forces began launching offensives from the north and south of
Kawlin
Kawlin (ကောလင်းမြို့) is a town in the Sagaing Division in Myanmar. (page 43 in part B of volume 1 in the pdf file) Since December 2018 it has been the administration headquarters for Kawlin District as well as Kawlin Town ...
in order to recapture the town. The Tatmadaw was also reportedly using the
Howitzer
The howitzer () is an artillery weapon that falls between a cannon (or field gun) and a mortar. It is capable of both low angle fire like a field gun and high angle fire like a mortar, given the distinction between low and high angle fire break ...
cannon and air support during the offensive. On 13 February, the PDF troops had to retreat and the junta was able to recapture the town.
Mandalay clashes
In early June 2021, PDF activities increased significantly across the
Mandalay District, with multiple violent clashes with pro-junta security forces reported in
Mandalay City and surrounding townships.
On 1 June, a PDF fighter shot two soldiers, killing one, outside of a high school that had been forced to re-open by junta authorities despite a nationwide boycott of government-run schools. The leader of the PDF in
Mandalay
Mandalay is the second-largest city in Myanmar, after Yangon. It is located on the east bank of the Irrawaddy River, 631 km (392 mi) north of Yangon. In 2014, the city had a population of 1,225,553.
Mandalay was founded in 1857 by Ki ...
, Bo Nat Khat, also claimed responsibility for recent bombings in five townships. The military junta called the PDF attacks acts of
terrorism
Terrorism, in its broadest sense, is the use of violence against non-combatants to achieve political or ideological aims. The term is used in this regard primarily to refer to intentional violence during peacetime or in the context of war aga ...
.
In
Patheingyi Township on 8 June, three PDF fighters in a vehicle rammed two police officers on motorbikes before shooting and killing them. The PDF claimed responsibility for the attack, which was confirmed by a pro-democracy police officer.
On 22 June, the
Tatmadaw
The Tatmadaw, also known as the Sit-Tat, is the armed forces of Myanmar (formerly Burma). It is administered by the Ministry of Defence and composed of the Myanmar Army, the Myanmar Navy and the Myanmar Air Force. Auxiliary services include ...
forces in armoured vehicles raided a PDF base in
Chanmyathazi Township, resulting in the deaths of two fighters and six arrests, according to the PDF. The Tatmadaw-owned media sources claimed that four PDF fighters were killed and eight arrested, while some security forces were injured. Later that day, the Mandalay PDF spokesperson announced that the group had "declared war" on the junta.
On 23 April 2023, the NUG Defence Ministry stated that clashes between the Mandalay PDF and the junta occurred from 5 to 22 April. These clashes were in
Pyin Oo Lwin and
Nawnghkio, and resulted in the deaths of around 100 regime troops and 11 PDF troops.
Other activities
In early June 2021, a combined force of five armed groups; the
Democratic Karen Buddhist Army
The Democratic Karen Buddhist Army (DKBA; ) was an insurgent group of Buddhist soldiers and officers in Myanmar that split from the predominantly Christian-led Karen National Liberation Army (KNLA), one of the largest rebel factions in Myanm ...
(
DKBA) splinter group, PDF,
KNU/KNLA Peace Council (
KPC),
Karen National Defence Organisation
The Karen National Defence Organisation (; ; KNDO) is the older of two main military branches of the Karen National Union (KNU), the other being the Karen National Liberation Army (KNLA). The KNDO fought against the government of Myanmar from 1 ...
(
KNDO
KNDO (channel 23) is a television station in Yakima, Washington, United States, affiliated with NBC. It is owned by the Spokane-based Cowles Company as part of the KHQ Television Group. KNDO's studios are located on West Yakima Avenue in downto ...
) and a Karen
Border Guard Force (
BGF) splinter group clashed with the
Tatmadaw
The Tatmadaw, also known as the Sit-Tat, is the armed forces of Myanmar (formerly Burma). It is administered by the Ministry of Defence and composed of the Myanmar Army, the Myanmar Navy and the Myanmar Air Force. Auxiliary services include ...
and Karen
BGF in Phlu village,
Karen state.
Brigadier General Saw Kyaw Thet, commander-in-chief of the
DKBA splinter group stated that the five armed groups are cooperating throughout Karen.
A villager of Kin Ma,
Magway, reported on 15 June 2021 that PDF forces had clashed with security forces in the village.
Following this incident, the
Tatmadaw
The Tatmadaw, also known as the Sit-Tat, is the armed forces of Myanmar (formerly Burma). It is administered by the Ministry of Defence and composed of the Myanmar Army, the Myanmar Navy and the Myanmar Air Force. Auxiliary services include ...
forces burned down the village, killing at least two.
The PDF, allied with
Thanbyuzayat
Thanbyuzayat (; , "Reid, Robert and Grosberg, Michael (2005) ''Myanmar (Burma)'' (9th edition) Lonely Planet Publications, Footscray, Victoria, Australiapage 159 ) is a town in the Mon State of south-eastern Myanmar. It is the administrative cente ...
PDF together destroyed military junta owned business
Mytel
Mytel is a major telecommunications company in Myanmar (Burma), as one of four national carriers. Mytel is operated as a joint venture between the Tatmadaw, Burmese military and Viettel, which is owned by Vietnam's Ministry of Defence (Vietnam), M ...
's telecom tower, located in
Thanbyuzayat Township, on 1 October.
On March 15, in an interview published by
Irrawaddy Media, "If the last six months of the people's resistance were to be considered as the first stage of the revolution, at this stage the PDF comrades will be involved in guerrilla warfare," he said. "They have been able to carry out effective war operations. They were able to destroy the enemy force on a daily basis. Now our PDFs have taken control of many rural areas."
On 27 March 2023, during the
Armed Forces Day
An Armed Forces Day, alongside its Military branch, branch-specific variants often referred to as Army or Soldier's Day, Navy or Sailor's Day, and Air Force or Aviator's Day, is a holiday dedicated to honoring the Military, armed forces, o ...
ceremony, the Yangon Revolution Force performed a cursing ritual by using a cutout of Min Aung Hlaing's head. The YRF said they performed this ritual so that "the regime would suffer for what they have done to the civilians in northern Myanmar and they quickly reach their demise".
On 11 April 2023, in the middle of a clash between the Mandalay PDF and the Tatmadaw, the PDF soldiers encountered
Mong Pong Sayadaw, who was going to
Minelon Subtownship. The PDF soldiers stopped shooting, and the Buddhist monk reportedly gave them lucky charms. On 22 April, the Mandalay PDF released the video footage of the encounter and stated that they had escorted him to safety.
In the morning of 28 January 2024, the flag of the PDF was hoisted at the Circular Road around
Kandawgyi Park in
Pyin Oo Lwin. A local commandant was summoned by the junta and reportedly punished due to this incident. Security in
Pyin Oo Lwin has been intensified, since the PDF has been planning to launch offensives in the town and it also has military service academies such as the
DSA and
DSTA.
Structure
On 28 May 2023, the Ministry of Defence published a report on the situation of the defensive war. The report also provided a few details of the structure of the PDF.
Regional Commands
The PDF was originally intended to be divided into five regional commands, but the ministry has readjusted into three commands. These are the Northern, Central, and Southern commands. The intended structure of a regional command is as follows:
Regional Command (
Division)
*
Brigade
A brigade is a major tactical military unit, military formation that typically comprises three to six battalions plus supporting elements. It is roughly equivalent to an enlarged or reinforced regiment. Two or more brigades may constitute ...
(at least 3)
** Infantry
Battalion
A battalion is a military unit, typically consisting of up to one thousand soldiers. A battalion is commanded by a lieutenant colonel and subdivided into several Company (military unit), companies, each typically commanded by a Major (rank), ...
× 3
** Artillery Battalion × 1
** Special Commando Battalion × 1
***
Company
A company, abbreviated as co., is a Legal personality, legal entity representing an association of legal people, whether Natural person, natural, Juridical person, juridical or a mixture of both, with a specific objective. Company members ...
× 4
****
Platoon
A platoon is a Military organization, military unit typically composed of two to four squads, Section (military unit), sections, or patrols. Platoon organization varies depending on the country and the Military branch, branch, but a platoon can ...
× 3
*****
Squad
In military terminology, a squad is among the smallest of Military organization, military organizations and is led by a non-commissioned officer. NATO and United States, U.S. doctrine define a squad as an organization "larger than a fireteam, ...
× 3 (10 soldiers)
Military Regions
The defence ministry, alongside the allied
Ethnic Armed Organisations (EAO) also have established three military regions ().
[
* 1st Military Region – Kachin, ]Chin
The chin is the forward pointed part of the anterior mandible (List_of_human_anatomical_regions#Regions, mental region) below the lower lip. A fully developed human skull has a chin of between 0.7 cm and 1.1 cm.
Evolution
The presence of a we ...
and northern Shan State
Shan State (, ; , ) is a administrative divisions of Myanmar, state of Myanmar. Shan State borders China (Yunnan) to the north, Laos (Louang Namtha Province, Louang Namtha and Bokeo Provinces) to the east, and Thailand (Chiang Rai Province, Chia ...
, Sagaing
Sagaing (, ) is a town in the Sagaing Region of Myanmar. It is located on the Irrawaddy River, to the south-west of Mandalay on the opposite bank of the river. Sagaing, with its numerous Buddhist monasteries, is an important religious and ...
, Magway and Mandalay Region
Mandalay Region (, ; formerly Mandalay Division) is an administrative divisions of Myanmar, administrative division of Myanmar. It is located in the center of the country, bordering Sagaing Region and Magway Region to the west, Shan State to the ...
* 2nd Military Region – Karen, Karenni and Mon State
Mon State (, ; ) is an administrative division of Myanmar. It lies between Kayin State to the east, the Andaman Sea to the west, Bago Region to the north and Tanintharyi Region to the south, also having a short border with Thailand's Kanchanabu ...
, Tanintharyi
Tanintharyi may refer to:
* Tanintharyi (town) or Taninthayi (known during the British occupation as Tenasserim), a town in Tanintharyi Township, Myeik District, in the Tanintharyi Region of Burma (Myanmar)
* Tanintharyi Region, formerly Tenasseri ...
, Irrawaddy, Bago and Yangon Region
Yangon Region (, ; formerly Rangoon Division and Yangon Division) is an administrative region of Myanmar. Located in central Myanmar, the region is bordered by Bago Region to the north and east, the Gulf of Martaban to the south, and Ayeyarwady ...
* 3rd Military Region – Naypyitaw and nearby areas
The 2nd and 3rd military regions are currently combined into the Southern Military Region and led by the ministry and two EAOs.
Known PDF units
The PDF includes three different types of armed groups, namely regular PDFs, Local Defense Forces (LDFs) and People's Defense Teams (PaKhaPha/PDTs). The regular PDFs are similar to full military units, comperatively large and well equipped, were recognized by and operate under the command of the NUG. Some regular PDFs also operate under the umbrella of NUG-aligned EAOs. The LDFs are local, autonomous militias which are loyal to the NUG but do not directly follow its orders, while the PDTs act as localized guerilla groups. By late 2022, there were 300 PDF battalions, over 400 LDFs, while PDTs operated in 250 out of 330 townships. Known large PDFs include:
* Burma National Revolution Army (BNRA)
* Generation Z Youth Army (GZA)
* Southern YSO PDF units
* Minbu District Battalions
Tatmadaw defections
The Burmese military has experienced increased defections to the civil disobedience movement
Civil disobedience is the active and professed refusal of a citizen to obey certain laws, demands, orders, or commands of a government (or any other authority). By some definitions, civil disobedience has to be nonviolent to be called "civil". ...
and the PDF since the coup. NUG and PDF groups launched propaganda and psychological warfare campaigns. Army defectors generally face death sentences, which are then commuted to life in prison.
In August 2021, the Thunder Guerrilla Force was established and the militia is said to be led by the CDM police officers and the Tatmadaw personnel. As of April 2023, the TGF has established 4 battalions.
By September 2021, the number of defectors had risen to 1,500 soldiers and 500 police officers, most of whom were privates and sergeants. Notable among them was Brigadier-General Phyo Thant, who led the Northwest Command until October 2021 when he was detained by the military after his plans to defect were exposed. Sagaing Region
Sagaing Region (, ; formerly Sagaing Division) is an administrative divisions of Myanmar, administrative region of Myanmar, located in the north-western part of the country between latitude 21° 30' north and longitude 94° 97' east. It is border ...
and Chin State
Chin State (, ) is a state in western Myanmar. Chin State is bordered by Sagaing Division and Magway Division to the east, Rakhine State to the south, the Chattogram Division of Bangladesh to the west, and the Indian states of Mizoram to th ...
, which are part of the Northwest Command, saw armed resistance from the PDF.
As of 15 February 2022, the number of defectors had risen to over 16,000 soldiers and police officers who had joined Myanmar’s Civil Disobedience Movement
Civil disobedience is the active and professed refusal of a citizen to obey certain laws, demands, orders, or commands of a government (or any other authority). By some definitions, civil disobedience has to be nonviolent to be called "civil". ...
. 75% of defectors expressed their willingness to join the PDF earlier that month.
Equipment
The PDF operates using a mixture of makeshift, locally-manufactured, and foreign-manufactured small arms
A firearm is any type of gun that uses an explosive charge and is designed to be readily carried and operated by an individual. The term is legally defined further in different countries (see legal definitions).
The first firearms originate ...
. Many PDF subgroups initially used makeshift bolt-action rifles. As of 2022, some subgroups used homemade hunting rifles,
while many PDF troops were not armed at all. By the middle of 2023, they were increasingly armed with better firearms. Many PDF battalions used assault rifles seized from military troops in ambushes and joint-operations with local ethnic armed organizations. Seized weapons consist of the MK-II (locally-manufactured Galil variant) and the MK-III bullpup
A bullpup firearm is one with its firing grip located in front of the Chamber (firearms), breech of the weapon, instead of behind it. This creates a weapon with a shorter overall length for a given barrel length, and one that is often lighter, ...
rifles. PDF groups also use the MA-1/MA-3/MA-4 assault
In the terminology of law, an assault is the act of causing physical harm or consent, unwanted physical contact to another person, or, in some legal definitions, the threat or attempt to do so. It is both a crime and a tort and, therefore, may ...
rifles with the MA-11 assault rifle (locally-manufactured HK-33 variant). PDF may use arms identical to those used by ethnic armed organizations such as the Karen National Liberation Army and the Kachin Independence Army
The Kachin Independence Army (KIA; Kachin: ''Wunpawng Mungdan Shanglawt Hpyen Dap''; ) is a non-state armed group and the military wing of the Kachin Independence Organization (KIO), a political group of ethnic Kachins in Northern Myanmar ...
, which include variants of the M16, the Type 56 assault rifle and the Kachin-manufactured variant of the Chinese Type 81 assault rifle known as the K-09. PDF groups have acquired large quantities of Wa- and Chinese-manufactured weapons from Wa State
Wa State is a '' de facto'' independent state and self-governing region in Myanmar that has its own political system, administrative divisions and army.29 December 2004佤帮双雄, Phoenix TV. While the Wa State government recognises Myanm ...
.
A variety of smuggled small arms, many of them from Thailand
Thailand, officially the Kingdom of Thailand and historically known as Siam (the official name until 1939), is a country in Southeast Asia on the Mainland Southeast Asia, Indochinese Peninsula. With a population of almost 66 million, it spa ...
, are also reported. They include the Ultimax, various AR-15s and FN FAL
The FAL (, English: Light Automatic Rifle) is a battle rifle designed in Belgium by Dieudonné Saive and manufactured by FN Herstal and others since 1953.
During the Cold War the FAL was adopted by many countries of the NATO, North Atlantic Trea ...
rifles and Derya shotguns.
In January 2022, the PDF launched its own small arms manufacturing operations. It began to mass-produce the FGC-9 PCC through 3-D printing, a semiautomatic carbine that operates on 9mm cartridges. Over 70 workshops were manufacturing rudimentary weapons by April 2022. An organization of military defectors known as the People's Soldiers Production Team (PSPT) began an arms manufacturing operation called Project A-1. PSPT aimed to economically produce variants of the M16, M4A1
The M4 carbine (officially Carbine, Caliber 5.56 mm, M4) is a 5.56×45mm NATO assault rifle developed in the United States during the 1980s. It is a shortened version of the M16A2 rifle, M16A2 assault rifle. The M4 is extensively used by ...
, and the AK-47
The AK-47, officially known as the Avtomat Kalashnikova (; also known as the Kalashnikov or just AK), is an assault rifle that is chambered for the 7.62×39mm cartridge. Developed in the Soviet Union by Russian small-arms designer Mikhail Kala ...
as well as ammunition, such as 5.56×45mm NATO, 7.62x39mm, 7.62×51mm NATO, 9×19mm Parabellum
The 9×19mm Parabellum (also known as 9mm Luger, 9mm NATO or simply 9mm) is a Rim (firearms)#Rimless, rimless, Centerfire ammunition, centerfire, tapered cartridge (firearms), firearms cartridge.
Originally designed by Austrian firearm designer ...
, .22 caliber cartridge, RPG-7
The RPG-7 is a portable, reusable, unguided, shoulder-launched, anti-tank, rocket launcher. The RPG-7 and its predecessor, the RPG-2, were designed by the Soviet Union, and are now manufactured by the Russian company Bazalt. The weapon has t ...
rocket-propelled grenade, 60mm Lightweight Mortar round, 40×46mm grenade, and the M67 grenade.
Video footage and reports of an Air Force jet shot down in Kayah State on 18 February 2022 led to speculation that the PDF possessed man-portable air-defense system
Man-portable air-defense systems (MANPADS or MPADS) are portable Shoulder-launched missile, shoulder-launched surface-to-air missiles. They are guided missile, guided weapons and are a threat to low-flying aircraft, especially helicopters and ...
s.
Project Home, a supply company based in Bago Region
Bago Region (, ; formerly Pegu Division and Bago Division) is an administrative divisions of Myanmar, administrative region of Myanmar, located in the southern central part of the country. It is bordered by Magway Region and Mandalay Region to ...
under NUG Military Region 2, strives to work on manufacturing an ultralight trike
An ultralight trike or paratrike is a type of powered hang glider where flight control is by weight-shift control, weight-shift. These light-sport aircraft, aircraft have a fabric Rogallo wing, flex-wing from which is suspended a tricycle fusel ...
to transport weapons and wounded fighters.[PDF ထုတ်လုပ်ရေးစခန်းတစ်ခုက တောင်ပံတပ်ယာဉ်ငယ် ထုတ်လုပ်ရန် မျှော်လင့်နေ]
Myanmar Now
''Myanmar Now'' () is a news agency based in Myanmar (Burma). ''Myanmar Now'' journalists publish bilingual Burmese and English articles on an eponymous online news portal. The agency provides free syndication throughout the country, with a dist ...
. April 15, 2025.
See also
*
* Dry Zone theater
* Operation Taungthaman
Notes
References
{{Insurgent groups in Myanmar
2021 establishments in Myanmar
Ethnic armed organisations in Myanmar
Military units and formations established in 2021
Military wings of political parties