Karen National Liberation Army

Karen National Liberation Army
LeadersGOC Saw Johnny
Lt Gen Saw Baw Kyaw Heh
Dates of operation1949 – present
HeadquartersLay Wah
Manerplaw (until 1995)
Active regionsKayah State
Kayin State
Tanintharyi Region
Bago Region
Mon State[1]
Myanmar-Thailand border
IdeologyKaren nationalism
Self-determination
Federalism
Part of Karen National Union
Allies
4K Coalition[2][3]
OpponentsState opponents

Non-state opponents

Battles and warsInternal conflict in Myanmar

The Karen National Liberation Army (Burmese: ကရင်အမျိုးသား လွတ်မြောက်ရေးတပ်မတော်; abbreviated KNLA) is the military branch of the Karen National Union (KNU), which campaigns for the self-determination of the Karen people of Myanmar (formerly Burma). The KNLA has been fighting the Burmese government since 1960s as part of the Karen conflict, which has been ongoing since 1949.

The KNLA was reported to have had a strength of approximately 10,000 in 1970,[8] 20,000 in 1980, 3,000 in 2001, 5,000 in 2006,[9] 6,000 in 2012, and 7,000 in 2014.[10] As of early 2021, the KNLA is estimated to have around 15,000 troops.[11] The army is divided into seven brigades[9] and a 'Special Force' reserved for special operations.[12]

  1. ^ a b "KNU and NMSP agree to temporary ceasefire". The Myanmar Times. 14 March 2018. Archived from the original on 29 April 2021. Retrieved 28 March 2018.
  2. ^ "Intense clash in Mese, Karenni State". Democratic Voice of Burma (in Burmese). 20 June 2023.
  3. ^ "The 4K, the clash in Mese, and the military movement of Karenni State". People's Spring (in Burmese). 20 June 2023.
  4. ^ "The Emergence of the ULA/AA and Question of the Rohingya Crisis". 26 January 2023. Retrieved 14 February 2023.
  5. ^ "Message from Lieutenant General Bao Jue Hai, Deputy Commander of the Karen National Liberation Army, to the Graduation Ceremony of the Burmese People's Liberation Army". 8 April 2022. Retrieved 7 April 2022.
  6. ^ "PRA Magway". IPS Myanmar Peace Desk. 22 March 2022. Archived from the original on 27 July 2023. Retrieved 24 March 2022.
  7. ^ "Pyusawhti militia". Myanmar NOW. Archived from the original on 12 May 2022. Retrieved 23 June 2022.
  8. ^ Cite error: The named reference mainsmith was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  9. ^ a b "Yangon's anti-rebel offensive rages on". Asia Times Online. 18 October 2003. Archived from the original on 21 October 2003. Retrieved 1 April 2024.
  10. ^ Rotberg, Robert I. (June 1998). Burma: Prospects for a Democratic Future, by Robert I. Rotberg. Brookings Institution Press. ISBN 0815791690. Archived from the original on 28 August 2017. Retrieved 16 December 2015.
  11. ^ "ชาติพันธุ์กระเหรี่ยง ต่อสู้เพื่อความฝัน "รัฐกะเหรี่ยง"". pptvhd36.com (in Thai). 30 March 2021. Archived from the original on 30 March 2021. Retrieved 3 April 2021.
  12. ^ 'Special Force' Joins KNLA on High Alert Archived 1 May 2011 at the Wayback Machine