Nationwide Ceasefire AgreementThe Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement (NCA), officially the Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement between the Government of the Republic of the Union of Myanmar and the Ethnic Armed Organisations (Burmese: တစ်နိုင်ငံလုံး ပစ်ခတ်တိုက်ခိုက်မှု ရပ်စဲရေးသဘောတူစာချုပ်), was a landmark ceasefire agreement between the government of Myanmar and representatives of various ethnic insurgent groups, officially known as "ethnic armed organisations" (EAOs) by the government.
Myanmar conflictMyanmar has been in armed conflict since 1948, when the country, then known as Burma, gained independence from the United Kingdom. The conflict has largely been ethnic-based, with ethnic armed organisations fighting Myanmar's armed forces, the Tatmadaw, for self-determination.
Burmese languageTibeto-Burman languageA man speaking Burmese.Burmese is a Tibeto-Burman language spoken in Myanmar, where it is the official language, lingua franca, and the native language of the Bamar, the country's largest ethnic group. The Constitution of Myanmar officially refers to it as the Myanmar language in English, though most English speakers continue to refer to the language as Burmese, after Burma—a name with co-official status until 1989 (see Names of Myanmar).
MyanmarMyanmar, 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 a population of about 55 million. It is bordered by India and Bangladesh to the northwest, China to the northeast, Laos and Thailand to the east and southeast, and the Andaman Sea and the Bay of Bengal to the south and southwest.
Myanmar peace processThe Myanmar peace process refers to the nation led discussions aimed at relieving the internal armed conflict that has been simmering in Myanmar since before it gained independence from Britain in 1948. Many of the events that have taken place can be attributed to tensions surrounding the treatment of the numerous different ethnic minorities. This conflict involves both the Myanmar government and military (the Tatmadaw), and the 16 armed ethnic minorities in Myanmar.
Arakan ArmyThe Arakan Army (Rakhine: အာရက္ခတပ်တော်, romanized: Arakha Tatdaw; abbreviated AA), sometimes referred to as the Arakha Army (AA) is an ethnic-armed organisation based in Myanmar's Rakhine State (Arakan). Founded in April 2009, the Arakan Army 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.
EthnicitySocial group defined by shared traitsAn ethnicity or ethnic group is a group of humans who identify with each other on the basis of perceived shared attributes that distinguish them from other groups. Attributes that ethnicities are believed to share include language, culture, common sets of ancestry, traditions, society, religion, history, region(s), or social treatment.
Myanmar civil war (2021–present)BelligerentsNational Unity GovernmentPeople's Defence ForceAllied ethnic armed organisationsNorthern AllianceKachin Independence ArmyThree Brotherhood AllianceArakan ArmyTa'ang National Liberation Army (until 2026)Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army (until 2026)4K CoalitionKaren National Liberation ArmyKarenni ArmyKarenni National People's Liberation Front (since 2023)Karenni Nationalities Defence ForceChinland CouncilChin National ArmyChinland Defense ForceChin BrotherhoodChin National Defence Force Chin People's ArmyZoland Defence ForceSpring Revolution AlliancePa-O National Liberation Army (since 2024)Smaller ethnic armed organisationsOther organisationsAll Burma Students' Democratic FrontPeople's Liberation ArmyAnti-Fascist Internationalist FrontSmall independent anti-junta guerrilla groupsTatmadaw and alliesTatmadawMyanmar ArmyBorder Guard ForcesMyanmar Air ForceMyanmar NavyMyanmar Coast GuardMyanmar Police ForceBorder Guard PolicePyusawhti militiasThway Thout (until 2023)Aligned ethnic armed organisationsArakan Liberation ArmyPa-O National ArmyKaren National ArmyShanni Nationalities ArmyNew Democratic Army - Kachin (until 2024)Zomi Revolutionary ArmyWuyang People's MilitiaArakan Rohingya Salvation ArmyRohingya Solidarity OrganisationSmaller pro-junta ethnic armed organisationsOther combatantsMyanmar National Democratic Alliance Army (since 2026)Ta'ang National Liberation Army (since 2026)Commanders and leadersDuwa Lashi LaMahn Winn Khaing ThannYee MonThan KhaePo Than GyaungBo NagarN'Ban LaHtang Gam ShawngSumlut Gun Maw Saw Johnny Saw Baw Kyaw Heh Tun Kyaw Pu Zing CungMaung SaungkhaKhun Bedu Khun Thurein Nai Banyar LelTwan Mrat NaingNyo Twan AwngKhaing Thu KhaTar Aik BongTar Bone KyawPeng DaxunMin Aung HlaingYe Win OoSoe WinMya Tun OoTin Aung SanMaung Maung AyeHtun AungYar PyaeThan HlaingZin Min HtetNi Lin AungAung Lin DweAung Kham Hti Khun Myint Aung Sao Meim Liam Sao Khun Aung Thanglianpau Guite U Shwe Min †Saw Chit Thu Zahkung Ting YingAtaullah abu Ammar Jununi(POW) Ustad Khalid Mohammed Ayyub Khan Ko Ko LinnTar Aik BongTar Bone KyawPeng DaxunStrength 100,000 (PDF, February 2024 estimate) and more than 100,000 (LDF and allied ethnic armed organisations, EAOs)Volunteers: estimates vary, from 70,000 to 201,000Draftees: ~120,000 ( estimate of the 24th batches )Casualties and losses89,200 – 96,000+ total killed(per ACLED, 1 Jan 2026)6,087 civilians killed & 28,051 arrested(per AAPP, 31 Dec 2024)3,484,300 internally displaced & 176,000-182,000 refugees (per United Nations, 20 Dec 2024)83,746 civilian properties estimated burnt or destroyed since February 2022(per Data for Myanmar, 14 April 2024)440 houses and buildings sealed off by the SAC(per AAPP, February 2022)At least 10 killed & multiple injured as part of spilloverThis box: The Myanmar civil war began following the military coup on 1 February 2021.
Three Brotherhood AllianceThe Three Brotherhood Alliance (Burmese: ညီနောင်မဟာမိတ်သုံးဖွဲ့; Chinese: 三兄弟联盟), 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 group rose to prominence in 2023 in resisting the Burmese junta in the wake of the 2021 Myanmar coup d'état.Arakan Liberation ArmyThe Arakan Liberation Army (Burmese: ရခိုင်ပြည် လွတ်မြောက်ရေး တပ်မတော်; abbreviatedALA) 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.
Restoration Council of Shan StateThe Restoration Council of Shan State (Burmese: သျှမ်းပြည်ပြန်လည်ထူထောင်ရေးကောင်စီ; abbreviated RCSS) is a Shan political organisation in Shan State, Myanmar, founded in 1996 by Shan military leader Yawd Serk. Its armed wing, the Shan State Army – South (SSA–S), is a signatory to the Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement with the government of Myanmar.
Conflict in Rakhine State (2016–present)Violent clashes have been ongoing in the northern part of Myanmar's Rakhine State since October 2016. Insurgent attacks by the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA) have led to sectarian violence perpetrated by Myanmar's military and the local Buddhist population against predominantly Muslim Rohingya civilians. The conflict has sparked international outcry and was described as an ethnic cleansing by the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights.
Kachin conflictThe 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 (Myanmar Armed Forces) since 1961, with only one major ceasefire being brokered between them, which lasted from 1994 to 2011, a total of 17 years. Since the resumption of hostilities in 2011, thousands of civilians have been killed, whilst over 100,000 more have been displaced.*As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.