The Kayan National Army (Burmese: ကယန်းအမျိုးသားတပ်မတော်; abbr. KNA) is an armed ethnic Karenni paramilitary group. Formed from a merger of once-independent smaller guerrilla groups, the KNA serves as the armed wing of the Karenni State Interim Executive Council.
| Kayan National Army | |
|---|---|
| ကယန်းအမျိုးသားတပ်မတော် | |
| Leaders | Khun Saungdu[1] |
| Dates of operation | October 29, 2024 – present |
| Headquarters | Pekon Township, Shan State |
| Active regions | Demoso Township Loikaw Township |
| Ideology | Federalism Democracy Minority rights |
| Part of | |
| Allies | State Allies
Non-state allies |
| Opponents |  Myanmar (SAC)
|
| Battles and wars | Internal conflict in Myanmar |
Origins and Objectives
editLed by a 14-person military committee of the KIEC, the KNA was established to unify smaller Karenni anti-junta forces established after the 2021 Myanmar coup d'etat. After overthrowing the State Administration Council junta, the KNA plans to serve as a transitional armed force for a future Karenni state that will encompass areas such as Mobye, Loikaw, Demoso, Pekon, and Pyinmana.[1][4]
Relationships with Other Armed Groups
editSome Karenni people criticized the formation of the KNA as multiple other Karenni anti-junta militias are still active. KNA leadership responded that they will cooperate with groups fighting against the military regime.[2][3] U Aung San Myint (a party secretary of the Karenni Army's political wing, the Karenni National Progressive Party) also assured that the KNA's formation will not hamper anti-dictatorship efforts.[5]
While the KNA recognizes the authority of the National Unity Government of Myanmar, they are not part of the NUG MOD. Nonetheless, the KNA stated that they will not force Karenni Local PDFs to join them.[1]
References
edit- ^ a b c New Ethnic Army Hopes to Represent All Kayan People. Saw Lwin. November 6, 2024. The Irrawaddy
- ^ a b ကယန်းအမျိုးသားတပ်မတော် ဖွဲ့စည်း. Radio Free Asia. October 29, 2024
- ^ a b Formation of the Kayan National Army (KNA). MoemaKa: Burmese Community News. October 31, 2024
- ^ Myanmar: Kayan National Army forms to fight military junta November 4, 2024. Radio Free Asia Archived November 9, 2024, at Ghost Archive
- ^ KNPP Asserts Kayan National Army Formation Will Not Disrupt Unity or Anti-Dictatorship Movement Shine Bu Chay. Myanmar Pressphoto Agency. November 8, 2024