National Democratic Alliance Army

The National Democratic Alliance Army (NDAA)[n 1] is an insurgent group in eastern Shan State, Myanmar (Burma).[5] It is the armed wing of the Peace and Solidarity Committee (PSC).

National Democratic Alliance Army
မြန်မာအမျိုးသား ဒီမိုကရက်တစ် မဟာမိတ်တပ်မတော်
LeadersU Sai Leun
Sao Hsengla
San Pae
Dates of operation1989 (1989)–present
HeadquartersMong La
Active regionsShan State Special Region 4
IdeologyShan nationalism
Size3,000[1]–4,000[2]
Part ofPeace and Solidarity Committee (PSC)
Allies Myanmar Nationalities Democratic Alliance Army
New Democratic Army - Kachin
United Wa State Army
Opponents Myanmar Union of Myanmar (until 2011)

History

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The Mong La area had been under the control of several warlords since the 1960s.[6] The NDAA was formed in 1989 after splitting from the former Communist Party of Burma (CPB). The strength of the army is 3,000 to 4,000 men.[2][1]

The NDAA was one of the first groups to sign a ceasefire with the Tatmadaw (Myanmar Armed Forces).[6] After the ceasefire, the area underwent an economic boom, and the NDAA had benefited financially from increased opium harvests and narcotics trafficking.[7] The NDAA declared an opium ban in the Mong La region in 1997 and signed a new ceasefire with the Myanmar government in 2011.[8]

The NDAA maintains close ties with other rebel armed groups that split from the CPB, such as the Myanmar Nationalities Democratic Alliance Army (MNDAA), the New Democratic Army - Kachin (NDA-K), and the United Wa State Army (UWSA). In 2008 the UWSA was strongly against giving away the area of Mong Pawk from its control because it serves as a link with its ally, the National Democratic Alliance Army in Mong La.[9]

Notes

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  1. ^ Also known as the National Democratic Alliance Army – Eastern Shan State (NDAA-ESS), Eastern Shan State Army[3] and Mong La group. The name "Mong La group" originates from its headquarters in Shan State Special region 4, colloquially known as Mong La area.[4]

References

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  1. ^ a b "NDAA". Myanmar Peace Monitor. 6 June 2013. Archived from the original on 16 February 2015. Retrieved 28 February 2016.
  2. ^ a b "Armed ethnic groups". Myanmar Peace Monitor. 10 January 2013. Archived from the original on 8 May 2019. Retrieved 29 January 2016.
  3. ^ "The National Democratic Alliance Army-Eastern Shan State" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 5 December 2017.
  4. ^ "Another wrong turn in Mong La". Archived from the original on 3 September 2014. Retrieved 5 December 2017.
  5. ^ "NDAA and UWSA deny involvement in Mekong incident". Archived from the original on 1 February 2014. Retrieved 5 December 2017.
  6. ^ a b South, Ashley (2008). Ethnic politics in Burma: states of conflict. Taylor & Francis. p. 140. ISBN 978-0-203-89519-1.
  7. ^ Skidmore, Monique; Wilson, Trevor (2007). Myanmar: the state, community and the environment. ANU E Press. p. 69.
  8. ^ "Neither War Nor Peace - Transnational Institute" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 11 May 2019. Retrieved 5 December 2017.
  9. ^ "Home". Archived from the original on 12 September 2017. Retrieved 5 December 2017.
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