Armed wing of the National Unity Government of Myanmar
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.[30] The PDF's leadership endorse guerrilla warfare tactics in pursuit of their aims.[31]
^ "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 .
^ 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 .
^ "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 .
^ "Over 30 Myanmar Junta Forces Killed in Four Days of Resistance Attacks" . Archived from the original on 1 November 2023. Retrieved 18 September 2023 .
^ "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 .
^ "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 .
^ "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.
^ "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 .
^ 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 .
^ "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 .
^ "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.
^ "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 .
^ "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 .
^ "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 .
^ "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 .
^ "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 .
^ 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
^ "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 .
^ "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 .
^ "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 .
^ 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 .
^ "Tway Thout group" .
^ 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 .
^ "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 .
^ "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 .
^ "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 .
^ 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 .
^ "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 .
^ 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 .
^ "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 .
^ 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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