People's Liberation Army

The People's Liberation Army (PLA) was founded on March 15, 2021, with 32 core cadres in Laiza, where the Kachin Independence Organization (KIO/KIA) is based, and is the armed wing of the Communist Party of Burma (CPB). It received military training from the KIA and was armed^[1] with the help of the Kokang force (MNDAA).

The PLA fights for the oppressed people, and after the success of the people's democratic revolution, aims to establish people's democratic power led by the proletariat and to build a new people's democratic republic with equality and solidarity.^[2] The army's strategic goal is to completely crush and eliminate military dictatorship through armed revolution.

The PLA has a strength of up to the thousands and operates in four military regions plus urban work. The four military regions are Military Region (1) Sagaing, Military Region (2) Ta'ang, Military Region (8) Tanintharyi (South) and Military Region (9) Kokang.

The PLA operates under the Central Political Department, under the political leadership of the Communist Party of Burma, and has issued an "Army Member's Handbook"^[3]  that its members must follow. The handbook covers the programme of the leading Communist Party of Burma, its theoretical foundations, organizing principles, the army's characteristics and revolutionary goals.

The PLA's approach to alliance- and coalition-building is the complete uprooting of military dictatorship for the full freedom of the oppressed people, and it regards as an ally any organization that sets this as its goal. The Central Political Department has stated that its basic principle for forming alliances is "work together where we agree, separately where we differ"^[4], and that in building coalitions it aims to build region-based military coalitions suited to the actual conditions faced.

The PLA represents the party's ability to extend its military arm again with the 2021 Spring Revolution, after a power struggle within the Communist Party of Burma and the collapse of its armed forces. It has also openly declared that, after the current Spring Revolution succeeds, it will work to disarm in consultation with revolutionary and allied forces.

According to news media, the PLA has taken part in operations against the terrorist junta since August 2022. Together with the People's Defence Force (PDF) and other local revolutionary armed forces in its area of operations, it has fought^[5] battles in Tabayin Township, Sagaing Region.

It has also formed alliances with the Magway-based People's Democratic Army (PDA), the Bamar People's Liberation Army (BPLA) and the Burma National Revolutionary Army (BNRA)^[6].

The political commissar who began building the regional force for Sagaing Military Region (1), Comrade Hnin Maung (a.k.a. Comrade Aung Ba Nyo), was killed by the terrorist junta on December 3, 2022.^[7]

Media have reported that, although the PLA is not under the National Unity Government (NUG) Ministry of Defence (MOD), it operates jointly under the MOD's chain of command; however, there have been problems over areas of operation within Military Region (1), Sagaing.^[8] In December 2023, the Military Region (1) regional committee announced that units under the MOD had blocked PLA units' movement in Shwebo Township, Sagaing Region, and asked that this be handled and investigated, as it could damage unity and public trust.^[9]

PLA units took part and fought in Operation 10:27, led by the three Northern Alliance members, in October 2023. The operation was waged by 611 allied forces organized in the Kokang region under the three northern groups' leadership, including the PLA. In the battle to capture Hseni, part of the operation, up to 12 PLA comrades were killed, and on January 15, 2024, the PLA announced^[10] that they would be recorded and honoured as "Hseni Battle Martyrs". Only after this did the PLA begin releasing more information about its military operations.

Women's participation in the PLA is also strong: in a basic military training course held in Military Region (1) in April 2024, women's participation^[11] reached 20 percent.

After Operation 10:27, the PLA has carried out continuous military operations with allies in its military regions, and also provides relief for displaced people and public health services.