New Society Army
The New Society Army is believed to be the armed wing of the Democratic Party for a New Society (DPNS). It uses an emblem of four overlapping stars similar to those of the DPNS and its youth wing, New Society Youth. Its members also wear the party's slogan, "The People Are Our Mother, the People Are Our Father", on their chests.
The New Society Army is believed to be the armed wing of the Democratic Party for a New Society (DPNS). It uses an emblem of four overlapping stars similar to those of the DPNS and its youth wing, New Society Youth. Its members also wear the party's slogan, "The People Are Our Mother, the People Are Our Father", on their chests.
The Democratic Party for a New Society (DPNS) emerged from the 8888 people's democracy uprising and was founded on October 14, 1988, led by the general secretary of the All Burma Federation of Student Unions and student youths. The DPNS contested the 1990 election, but after the SLORC military government dissolved the party it continued as an underground party; it re-registered in 2012, stood as an aboveground party for seven years, and contested the 2015 general election, the 2018 by-elections and the 2020 general election. The party's youth wing, Youth for a New Society (YNS), has also exposed and opposed human rights violations by successive governments, including the Myanmar military.
After the 2021 military coup, the DPNS joined the General Strike Committee (GSC). Some New Society youths also led and took part in the guerrilla strikes that emerged after the Myanmar military crushed protests in March 2021. In March 2023, the coup junta struck the party off the register on the grounds of party registration. The DPNS is a member of the People's Representative Committee for Federal (PRCF), formed by some DPNS representatives elected in 2020 and allied parties, and is the only party taking part in the National Unity Consultative Council (NUCC).
Although the DPNS has operated only as a political party, it has not explicitly stated that it is taking part in armed revolution during the Spring Revolution. The New Society Army (NSA) also does not post on social media pages and has not been seen running fundraising campaigns. However, in 2024, while the Arakan Army's fighting in Rakhine State was intense, it took part with the Asho Chin Defence Force (ACDF) and the People Independence Army (PIA) in attacking Myanmar military camps in the Magway region, cutting and blocking reinforcement routes, and capturing prisoners of war fleeing from Rakhine State.
According to statements, on August 19, 2024, it attacked about 20 Myanmar military personnel patrolling toward Lin Tae village near the Minbu–Ann road, and in December 2024 it intercepted Myanmar military personnel fleeing the Arakan Army (AA)'s capture of Ann, capturing a total of 12 prisoners of war, including one Myanmar military captain. The New Society Army has also deployed a sub-military region in the Karenni area. It has opened a basic military training course in the Karenni area, holding a graduation ceremony in August 2025 that was attended by some local armed group leaders.