People's Defence Force (Myanmar)

People's Defence Force
ပြည်သူ့ကာကွယ်ရေးတပ်မတော်
Also known asPDF
Founding leaderYee Mon
Foundation5 May 2021 (2021-05-05)
Dates of operation5 May 2021 (2021-05-05) – present
CountryMyanmar
Allegiance National Unity Government of Myanmar
Group(s)
Active regionsMyanmar
IdeologyFederal democracy
Size100,000 (February 2024 estimate)[10]
Part ofMinistry of Defence, National Unity Government
Allies
Opponents Myanmar (SAC)
Battles and warsInternal conflict in Myanmar
Websitemod.nugmyanmar.org/en/peoples-defence-force/

The People's Defence Force[a] is the armed wing of the National Unity Government in Myanmar. The armed wing was formed by the NUG from youths and pro-democracy activists on 5 May 2021 in response to the coup d'état that occurred on 1 February 2021 that put the military junta and their armed wing the Tatmadaw in power.[23] The military junta designated it as a terrorist organisation on 8 May 2021.[24] In October 2021, NUG's Ministry of Defence announced that it had formed a central committee to coordinate military operations across the country.[25]

According to the NUG statement, the PDF is divided into five regional commands (Northern, Southern, Central, Eastern and Western commands[26]), each mounting at least three brigades. Each brigade consists of five battalions, which divide into four companies.[27] On 13 July 2021, NUG's minister of defence Yee Mon stated that the strength of the newly-formed militia was expected to reach 8,000 by the end of the month.[28] Estimates by The Irrawaddy put the PDF's numbers at 65,000 in November 2022.[29] More recent estimates put the PDF's strength at 100,000, even though not all are believed to be fully armed and trained.[10] The PDF's leadership endorse guerrilla warfare tactics in pursuit of their aims.[30]

  1. ^ "Interview: 'Our Strength is in the People'". Radio Free Asia (RFA). 25 May 2021. Archived from the original on 28 June 2021. Retrieved 25 May 2021.
  2. ^ a b "Sagaing and Magway PDFs launch guerrilla attacks on military columns". Myanmar Now. 12 October 2021. Archived from the original on 28 November 2021. Retrieved 27 December 2021.
  3. ^ "Yangon PDF Central Command announces attacks after Kyimyindine crackdown". BNI. 7 December 2021. Archived from the original on 27 December 2021. Retrieved 27 December 2021.
  4. ^ "Over 30 Myanmar Junta Forces Killed in Four Days of Resistance Attacks". Archived from the original on 1 November 2023. Retrieved 18 September 2023.
  5. ^ "Karenni resistance fighters open new front against junta". Myanmar Now. 26 May 2021. Archived from the original on 26 May 2021. Retrieved 7 July 2021.
  6. ^ "Myanmar Junta Security Minister Admits Defeat Across Region". The Irrawaddy. 25 January 2022. Archived from the original on 29 January 2022. Retrieved 29 January 2022.
  7. ^ "Students of war: Myanmar's potent but fractured student movement takes up arms". Frontier Myanmar. 10 March 2023. Archived from the original on 4 October 2023.
  8. ^ "Drones level playing field for Myanmar's armed opposition against powerful military". Radio Free Asia. 24 September 2022. Archived from the original on 2 June 2023. Retrieved 2 June 2023.
  9. ^ Davis, Anthony (25 December 2021). "Who's more likely to win Myanmar's raging civil war?". Asia Times). Archived from the original on 26 December 2021. Retrieved 27 December 2021.
  10. ^ a b "With Conscription Law, Myanmar's Generals Are Digging Their Own Graves". The irrawaddy. 14 February 2024. Archived from the original on 14 February 2024. Retrieved 14 February 2024.
  11. ^ "Myanmar Resistance Seizes First District Level Town in Sagaing as Offensive Expands". The Irrawaddy. 6 November 2023. Archived from the original on 29 November 2023.
  12. ^ "Arakan State Army claims they captured Myanmar junta outpost In Kayin State". Mizzima. 16 February 2022. Archived from the original on 19 February 2022. Retrieved 19 February 2022.
  13. ^ "ANC/AA accompanied-"Cobra Column" attacks a junta column, many equipments confiscated". Narinjara News (in Burmese). 12 July 2022. Archived from the original on 27 October 2022. Retrieved 13 July 2022.
  14. ^ "NUG and BPLA will cooperate militarily". RFA Burmese (in Burmese). 26 October 2022. Archived from the original on 27 October 2022. Retrieved 27 October 2022.
  15. ^ "Chin National Front Signs Deal with Myanmar's Shadow Govt". The Irrawaddy. 29 May 2021. Archived from the original on 21 November 2021. Retrieved 30 May 2021.
  16. ^ "Myanmar Junta Loses Over a Dozen Troops, More Bases in Three Days of Resistance Attacks". The Irrawaddy. 11 December 2023. Archived from the original on 11 December 2023. Retrieved 4 April 2024.
  17. ^ Myanmar Military Now at War With Ethnic Pa-O Army And Allies in Southern Shan State. Brian Wei. January 26, 2024. The Irrawaddy Archived January 26, 2024, at the Wayback Machine
  18. ^ "Union Minister of the Ministry of Defense meets the People's Revolution Alliance (Magway)". Public Voice Television (in Burmese). 1 November 2022. Archived from the original on 3 November 2022. Retrieved 2 November 2022.
  19. ^ "Two helicopters used in fighting near northern Shan State's Naungcho". Mizzima. 14 March 2022. Archived from the original on 16 March 2022. Retrieved 4 May 2022.
  20. ^ "Murders in Yangon and Mandalay linked to Thwe Thout". Myanmar Now. 23 May 2022. Archived from the original on 23 May 2022. Retrieved 22 June 2022.
  21. ^ Mathieson, David Scott (10 June 2022). "Myanmar raising bloodthirsty death squads". Asia Times. Archived from the original on 13 June 2022. Retrieved 22 June 2022.
  22. ^ "Tway Thout group". YouTube. 29 April 2022.
  23. ^ Strangio, Sebastian (6 May 2021). "Can Myanmar's New 'People's Defense Force' Succeed?". The Diplomat. Archived from the original on 9 May 2021. Retrieved 1 June 2021.
  24. ^ "Myanmar junta designates shadow government as 'terrorist' group". Deutsche Welle. 8 May 2021. Archived from the original on 9 May 2021. Retrieved 9 May 2021.
  25. ^ "NUG establishes 'chain of command' in fight against regime". Myanmar NOW. 28 October 2021. Archived from the original on 15 July 2022. Retrieved 5 November 2021.
  26. ^ "PDF Military Structure". Ministry of Defence, National Unity Government of Myanmar (in English and Burmese). 2022. Archived from the original on 9 December 2021. Retrieved 12 August 2022.
  27. ^ Details about the People's Defense Force (in Burmese). National Unity Government of Myanmar. 2021. Archived from the original on 3 June 2021. Retrieved 1 June 2021.
  28. ^ "PDF's strength expected to reach 8,000". Radio Free Asia (in Burmese). 13 July 2021. Archived from the original on 21 October 2021. Retrieved 13 July 2021.
  29. ^ Aung, Banyar (24 November 2022). "An Assessment of Myanmar's Parallel Civilian Govt After Almost 2 Years of Revolution". The Irrawaddy. Archived from the original on 24 November 2022. Retrieved 24 November 2022.
  30. ^ Picard, Jasper (8 March 2022). "The Emergence of Civilian Resistance to Military Rule in Myanmar". The Diplomat. Archived from the original on 10 March 2022. Retrieved 4 April 2023.


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