People's Defence Force (Myanmar) Explained

People's Defence Force
Native Name:ပြည်သူ့ကာကွယ်ရေးတပ်မတော်
Native Name Lang:my
Other Name:PDF
Founding Leader:Yee Mon
Dates: – present
Country:Myanmar
Allegiance: National Unity Government of Myanmar
Clans:
Area:Myanmar
Ideology:Federal democracy
Size:100,000 (February 2024 estimate)[10]
Partof:Ministry of Defence, National Unity Government
Allies:
Opponents: Myanmar (SAC)
Battles:Internal conflict in Myanmar

The People's Defence Force 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]

History

See also: Myanmar civil war (2021–present). Minister of Defence Yee Mon announced on 16 April 2021 that NUG would establish an armed wing that would cooperate with various ethnic armed organisations[32] to launch an armed revolution against the junta.[33] On 5 May 2021, NUG announced the formation of the PDF as a "forerunner of the federal armed forces". It also stated that the PDF was formed in response to the violence happening throughout the country.[34] On 28 May 2021, NUG released a video of the PDF's graduation ceremony, announcing that the armed wing was ready to challenge the junta's forces.[35] On 7 September 2021, the NUG announced the launch of the "People's Defensive War" against the military junta, and urged the citizens to revolt against the junta in every corner of the country.[36]

On 7 September 2022, NUG acting president Duwa Lashi La gave a speech on the one-year anniversary of the defensive war. He stated that the PDF suffered from 1,500 casualties within one year after the declaration, and that the junta was losing their territorial control.[37] The NUG also stated that 2023 would be an important year as they would "successfully end the revolution in that year and six battlefronts would be opened to do so".[38]

Starting from 2023, local PDFs have been reportedly planning to perform coordinated attacks against the regime as a "Phase 2 of the NUG's one year plan".[39] On 5 May 2023, the NUG stated that around 300 battalions and columns have been established nationwide, as well as local PDFs in 250 townships. Duwa Lashi La also stated that the combating strength of the PDF is "now greater than that of the regime", and the PDF soldiers need equipment to defend against the regime's airstrike attacks.[40] On 1 June 2023, the NUG announced the formation of the 5101st Battalion, the first military battalion based in Yangon Region.[41]

Yangon Region clashes

On 14 August 2021, the PDF ambushed six heavily armed policemen who were travelling along the Yangon Circular Railway. Five were killed. A sixth was injured but survived. Four automatic rifles were seized.[42]

Shan State clashes

The PDF clashed with the Tatmadaw in Muse on 23 May 2021, killing at least 13 members of Myanmar's security forces.[43] Another clash happened in the town of Moebyel, in which 20 members of the police force were killed.[44]

On 20 January 2024, the Tatmadaw and the Pa-O National Army (PNA) attempted to confiscate the Pa-O National Liberation Army (PNLA)'s weapons.[45] A few days later, firefight broke out in Hopong Township. On 24 January 2024, the PNLA, local PDF forces, and the KNDF attacked the PNO/Junta-controlled town of Hsi Hseng. The Tatmadaw responded with airstrikes and shelling. PNLA retaliated with KNDF and local PDF forces and attacked the town of Hsi Hseng, Shan State eventually capturing it on 26 January 2024.

Chin State clashes

See main article: Chinland Defense Force. Chin State saw some of the earliest armed resistance. Clashes were reported initially in late March 2021. Armed with traditional tumi guns, ethnic Chin inflicted casualties on the Tatmadaw. In early April 2021, Chinland Defense Force (CDF) was established. The Tatmadaw saw heavy casualties in clashes with Mindat branch of the CDF in late April and May 2021. CDF Mindat briefly occupied the town, but was forced to withdraw when the Tatmadaw used civilians as shields.[46] [47]

Chin National Army, the existing Chin armed organisation, various township branches of the CDF and Chin National Defence Force (an armed Chin organization formed after the coup) came together to form a joint defence coordination body called Chinland Joint Defense Committee (CJDC).[48] The total strength of active personnel under the command of CJDC was approximated to be around 13,000. From August to October 2021, it was reported that at least 40 clashes occurred between junta troops and CDF.[49] CJDC claimed that at least 1,029 Tatmadaw soldiers were killed in the clashes and lost 58 of their own in 2021.[50]

Karenni State clashes

Karenni PDF launched attacks in Demoso and Bawlakhe townships, killing at least twenty Tatmadaw soldiers and police and burning down three outposts on 26 May 2021.[5] The Tatmadaw retaliated by shelling residential areas.[51]

On 31 May 2021, Karenni Nationalities Defence Force (KNDF) was formed as a merger of scattered PDF groups in the Karenni state and some local Ethnic Armed Organisations. The main organisation was Karenni National Progressive Party.[52]

Sagaing clashes

The PDF, along with the Kachin Independence Army, began assaults on the Tatmadaw positions in Katha, Sagaing around the end of May 2021, killing eight regime soldiers and injuring thirteen.[53] On 24 and 26 June 2021, combined PDF and KIA forces clashed with the Tatmadaw, reportedly killing at least 44 regime troops.[54]

On 15 January 2022, a combined force of PDF and All Burma Students' Democratic Front attacked two Tatmadaw ships approaching Katha from Shwegu using rocket-propelled grenades. This confrontation marks the first time ABSDF had engaged the Tatmadaw since the beginning of the coup, entering a war against the regime and openly siding with the PDF.[55]

On 1 February 2023, a local PDF shot down a Tatmadaw Mi-17 helicopter during a clash in Shwepyiaye, Homalin Township.[56] On 8 and 9 February, a coalition of local PDFs, under the leadership of the NUG's defence ministry, launched an attack on "15 military targets in the region", killing 44 and injuring 8 regime troops. During the attack, 2 PDF soldiers were killed and 13 were injured.[57]

On 19 March 2023, the Chindwin Attack Force shelled the headquarters of the Northwestern Command in Monywa, as the junta leader Min Aung Hlaing was reportedly visiting there. Five out of eight mortar shells exploded on the checkpoint gates, and the regime troops are said to have retaliated with chemical bombs.[58] [59]

On 3 November 2023, the PDF and the KIA launched an offensive in Kawlin. The offensive took four days, ending with the defending junta troops surrendering with the white flag. On 6 November, the NUG announced that they were able to seize the town and posted a photo of the PDF flag being flown at the Kawlin District Administration Department. This was the first district-level town that the PDF was able to take over.[60] [61]

In December 2023, KNA and PDF seized a base in Tamu township, Sagaing Region.

In the evening of 3 February 2024, the Tatmadaw forces began launching offensives from the north and south of Kawlin in order to recapture the town. The Tatmadaw was also reportedly using the Howitzer cannon and air support during the offensive. On 13 February, the PDF troops had to retreat and the junta was able to recapture the town.[62]

Mandalay clashes

In early June 2021, PDF activities increased significantly across the Mandalay District, with multiple violent clashes with pro-junta security forces reported in Mandalay City and surrounding townships.

On 1 June, a PDF fighter shot two soldiers, killing one, outside of a high school that had been forced to re-open by junta authorities despite a nationwide boycott of government-run schools. The leader of the PDF in Mandalay, Bo Nat Khat, also claimed responsibility for recent bombings in five townships. The military junta called the PDF attacks acts of terrorism.

In Patheingyi Township on 8 June, three PDF fighters in a vehicle rammed two police officers on motorbikes before shooting and killing them. The PDF claimed responsibility for the attack, which was confirmed by a pro-democracy police officer.[63]

On 22 June, the Tatmadaw forces in armoured vehicles raided a PDF base in Chanmyathazi Township, resulting in the deaths of two fighters and six arrests, according to the PDF.[64] The Tatmadaw-owned media sources claimed that four PDF fighters were killed and eight arrested, while some security forces were injured.[65] Later that day, the Mandalay PDF spokesperson announced that the group had "declared war" on the junta.[66]

On 23 April 2023, the NUG Defence Ministry stated that clashes between the Mandalay PDF and the junta occurred from 5 to 22 April. These clashes were in Pyin Oo Lwin and Nawnghkio, and resulted in the deaths of around 100 regime troops and 11 PDF troops.[67]

Other activities

In early June 2021, a combined force of five armed groups; the Democratic Karen Buddhist Army (DKBA) splinter group, PDF, KNU/KNLA Peace Council (KPC), Karen National Defence Organisation (KNDO) and a Karen Border Guard Force (BGF) splinter group clashed with the Tatmadaw and Karen BGF in Phlu village, Karen state.[68] Brigadier General Saw Kyaw Thet, commander-in-chief of the DKBA splinter group stated that the five armed groups are cooperating throughout Karen.[68]

A villager of Kin Ma, Magway, reported on 15 June 2021 that PDF forces had clashed with security forces in the village.[69] Following this incident, the Tatmadaw forces burned down the village, killing at least two. The PDF, allied with Thanbyuzayat PDF together destroyed military junta owned business Mytel's telecom tower, located in Thanbyuzayat Township, on 1 October.[70]

On March 15, in an interview published by Irrawaddy Media,[71] "If the last six months of the people's resistance were to be considered as the first stage of the revolution, at this stage the PDF comrades will be involved in guerrilla warfare," he said. "They have been able to carry out effective war operations. They were able to destroy the enemy force on a daily basis. Now our PDFs have taken control of many rural areas."

On 27 March 2023, during the Armed Forces Day ceremony, the Yangon Revolution Force performed a cursing ritual by using a cutout of Min Aung Hlaing's head. The YRF said they performed this ritual so that "the regime would suffer for what they have done to the civilians in northern Myanmar and they quickly reach their demise".[72]

On 11 April 2023, in the middle of a clash between the Mandalay PDF and the Tatmadaw, the PDF soldiers encountered Mong Pong Sayadaw, who was going to Minelon Subtownship. The PDF soldiers stopped shooting, and the Buddhist monk reportedly gave them lucky charms. On 22 April, the Mandalay PDF released the video footage of the encounter and stated that they had escorted him to safety.[73]

In the morning of 28 January 2024, the flag of the PDF was hoisted at the Circular Road around Kandawgyi Park in Pyin Oo Lwin. A local commandant was summoned by the junta and reportedly punished due to this incident. Security in Pyin Oo Lwin has been intensified, since the PDF has been planning to launch offensives in the town and it also has military service academies such as the DSA and DSTA.[74]

Structure

On 28 May 2023, the Ministry of Defence published a report on the situation of the defensive war. The report also provided a few details of the structure of the PDF.[75] The People's Security and Defence Council is the highest authority in NUG's defence, being led by the President and the Prime Minister.

Regional Commands

The PDF was originally intended to be divided into five regional commands, but the ministry has readjusted into three commands. These are the Northern, Central, and Southern commands. The intended structure of a regional command is as follows:

Regional Command (Division)

Military Regions

The defence ministry, alongside the allied Ethnic Armed Organisations (EAO) also have established three military regions .[75]

The 2nd and 3rd military regions are currently combined into the Southern Military Region and led by the ministry and two EAOs.

Tatmadaw defections

The Burmese military has experienced increased defections to the civil disobedience movement and the PDF since the coup.[76] NUG and PDF groups launched propaganda and psychological warfare campaigns. Army defectors generally face death sentences, which are then commuted to life in prison.

In August 2021, the Thunder Guerrilla Force was established and the militia is said to be led by the CDM police officers and the Tatmadaw personnel. As of April 2023, the TGF has established 4 battalions.[77]

By September 2021, the number of defectors had risen to 1,500 soldiers and 500 police officers, most of whom were privates and sergeants.[78] [79] Notable among them was Brigadier-General Phyo Thant, who led the Northwest Command until October 2021 when he was detained by the military after his plans to defect were exposed.[80] Sagaing Region and Chin State, which are part of the Northwest Command, saw armed resistance from the PDF.

As of 15 February 2022, the number of defectors had risen to over 16,000 soldiers and police officers who had joined Myanmar’s Civil Disobedience Movement. 75% of defectors expressed their willingness to join the PDF earlier that month.[81]

Equipment

The PDF operates using a mixture of makeshift, locally-manufactured, and foreign-manufactured small arms. Many PDF subgroups initially used makeshift bolt-action rifles.[82] [83] As of 2022, some subgroups used homemade hunting rifles,[84] [85] while many PDF troops were not armed at all.[86] By the middle of 2023, they were increasingly armed with better firearms.[87] Many PDF battalions used assault rifles seized from military troops in ambushes and joint-operations with local ethnic armed organizations. Seized weapons consist of the MK-II (locally-manufactured Galil variant) and the MK-III bullpup rifles. PDF groups also use the MA-1/MA-3/MA-4 assault rifles with the MA-11 assault rifle (locally-manufactured HK-33 variant).[87] PDF may use arms identical to those used by ethnic armed organizations such as the Karen National Liberation Army and the Kachin Independence Army, which include variants of the M16, the Type 56 assault rifle[87] and the Kachin-manufactured variant of the Chinese Type 81 assault rifle known as the K-09.[88] [89] PDF groups have acquired large quantities of Wa- and Chinese-manufactured weapons from Wa State.[87]

A variety of smuggled small arms, many of them from Thailand, are also reported. They include the Ultimax, various AR-15 and FN FAL rifles and Derya shotguns.[87]

In January 2022, the PDF launched its own small arms manufacturing operations. It began to mass-produce the FGC-9 PCC through 3-D printing, a semiautomatic carbine that operates on 9mm cartridges.[90] [91] Over 70 workshops were manufacturing rudimentary weapons by April 2022.[85] An organization of military defectors known as the People's Soldiers Production Team (PSPT) began an arms manufacturing operation called Project A-1.[92] [93] PSPT aimed to economically produce variants of the M16,[94] M4A1,[95] [96] and the AK-47[97] as well as ammunition, such as 5.56×45mm NATO, 7.62x39mm, 7.62×51mm NATO, 9×19mm Parabellum, .22 caliber cartridge, RPG-7 rocket-propelled grenade, 60mm Lightweight Mortar round, 40×46mm grenade,[98] and the M67 grenade.[99] [100] [101] [102] [103]

Video footage and reports of an Air Force jet shot down in Kayah State on 18 February 2022 led to speculation that the PDF possessed man-portable air-defense systems.[104]

Notes and References

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  41. Web site: NUG announces the formation of the 5101st battalion in Yangon Military Region. 1 June 2023. 1 June 2023. Burmese. DVB. 1 June 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20230601085050/https://burmese.dvb.no/archives/596576. live.
  42. Web site: March 11, 2023 . Five police officers shot dead in attack on Yangon train . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20210903145735/https://www.myanmar-now.org/en/news/five-police-officers-shot-dead-in-attack-on-yangon-train . 3 September 2021 . 3 September 2021 . Myanmar NOW . en.
  43. News: Myanmar: 13 security forces members killed in clash with anti-coup bloc's defence force . 26 May 2021 . ANI News . 24 May 2021 . 25 October 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20211025200858/https://www.aninews.in/news/world/asia/myanmar-13-security-forces-members-killed-in-clash-with-anti-coup-blocs-defence-force20210524083029/ . live .
  44. News: Myanmar rebels claim police killings as Aung San Suu Kyi appears in court . 26 May 2021 . The Guardian . 24 May 2021 . en . 25 May 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210525013456/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/may/24/myanmar-police-clashes-anti-coup-movement-deaths-peoples-defence-force . live .
  45. News: Firefight Erupts as Myanmar Junta Troops Halt PNLO Arms Convoy in Shan State . Wei . Brian . January 23, 2024 . . https://web.archive.org/web/20240124045933/https://www.irrawaddy.com/news/burma/firefight-erupts-as-myanmar-junta-troops-halt-pnlo-arms-convoy-in-shan-state.html . January 24, 2024.
  46. News: Head . Jonathan . Myanmar: The small embattled town that stood up to the army . 4 May 2022 . BBC . 22 May 2021 . en . 2 June 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210602213654/https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-57197081 . live .
  47. News: Strangio . Sebastian . Myanmar: Myanmar Seizes Western Town After Heated Battle with Civilian Militia . 4 May 2022 . The Diplomat . 17 May 2021 . en . 4 November 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20211104111711/https://thediplomat.com/2021/05/myanmar-seizes-western-town-after-heated-battle-with-civilian-militia/ . live .
  48. News: McBride . Alex . Resistance to the Myanmar regime in Chin state – a photo essay . 4 May 2022 . The Guardian . 24 January 2022 . en . 24 January 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220124071145/https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2022/jan/24/resistance-myanmar-regime-chin-state-photo-essay . live .
  49. News: Spring Revolution and Situation Updates in Ethnic Areas . 4 May 2022 . Federal Journal . en . 11 September 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220911133439/https://www.federaljournal.org/fj-mm-6359-2/ . live .
  50. News: Swe . Nyein . Resistance fighters in Chin killed 'more than 1,000' junta troops last year . 4 May 2022 . Myanmar Now . 28 January 2022 . en . 29 June 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220629165529/https://www.myanmar-now.org/en/news/resistance-fighters-in-chin-killed-more-than-1000-junta-troops-last-year . live .
  51. News: 22 May 2021 . Karenni resistance fighters kill three police officers as military attacks residential areas with artillery . Myanmar Now . live . 7 July 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210709184523/https://www.myanmar-now.org/en/news/karenni-resistance-fighters-kill-three-police-officers-as-military-attacks-residential-areas . 9 July 2021.
  52. News: Thonya . Saw . 31 May 2021 . Karenni Nationalities Defense Force (KNDF) will carry out NUG's defense policies . BNI Multimedia Group . live . 7 July 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210706131340/https://www.bnionline.net/en/news/karenni-nationalities-defense-force-kndf-will-carry-out-nugs-defense-policies . 6 July 2021.
  53. News: Myanmar Junta Forces and KIA in Fresh Fighting in Northern Myanmar. The Irrawaddy. 7 July 2021. 7 July 2021. 2 June 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210602234925/https://www.irrawaddy.com/news/burma/myanmar-junta-forces-and-kia-in-fresh-fighting-in-northern-myanmar.html. live.
  54. News: 29 June 2021 . Dozens of regime soldiers reportedly killed in clashes with PDFs in eastern Sagaing . Myanmar Now . live . 7 July 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20211210220742/https://www.myanmar-now.org/en/news/dozens-of-regime-soldiers-reportedly-killed-in-clashes-with-pdfs-in-eastern-sagaing . 10 December 2021.
  55. News: All Burma Students' Democratic Front (ABSDF) has entered a war with Myanmar's junta military . The Chindwin . 16 January 2022 . 22 January 2022 . 22 January 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220122064635/https://www.thechindwin.com/all-burma-students-democratic-front-absdf-has-entered-a-war-with-myanmars-junta-military/ . live .
  56. News: A PDF coalition shot down a military helicopter. 1 February 2023. 3 February 2023. VOA Burmese. 3 February 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20230203195338/https://burmese.voanews.com/a/pdf-shot-down-a-military-helicopter/6946553.html. live.
  57. News: The Ministry of Defense says PDF joint forces were able to attack military targets in Sagaing. 8 February 2023. 12 February 2023. Public Voice Television. Burmese. 19 February 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20230219032125/https://pvtvmyanmar.net/%E1%80%85%E1%80%85%E1%80%BA%E1%80%80%E1%80%AD%E1%80%AF%E1%80%84%E1%80%BA%E1%80%B8%E1%80%90%E1%80%AD%E1%80%AF%E1%80%84%E1%80%BA%E1%80%B8%E1%80%A1%E1%80%90%E1%80%BD%E1%80%84%E1%80%BA%E1%80%B8%E1%80%80-4/. live.
  58. News: Junta leader got attacked with large weapons. 19 March 2023. 20 March 2023. DVB News. Burmese. 20 March 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20230320055138/http://burmese.dvb.no/archives/584238. live.
  59. News: Northwestern Command Headquarters in Monywa gets attacked with heavy weapons during Min Aung Hlaing's visit, the army fought back with gas bombs.. 19 March 2023. 20 March 2023. Yangon Khit Thit Media. Burmese. 20 March 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20230320092121/https://yktnews.com/2023/03/%E1%80%99%E1%80%84%E1%80%BA%E1%80%B8%E1%80%A1%E1%80%B1%E1%80%AC%E1%80%84%E1%80%BA%E1%80%9C%E1%80%BE%E1%80%AD%E1%80%AF%E1%80%84%E1%80%BA-%E1%80%99%E1%80%AF%E1%80%B6%E1%80%9B%E1%80%BD%E1%80%AC%E1%80%99/. live.
  60. News: 6 November 2023 . Residents says the KIA and PDF took over the town of Kawlin . RFA Burmese . 6 November 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20240103161811/https://www.rfa.org/burmese/news/kawlin-kia-pdf-attack-11062023014441.html. January 3, 2024.
  61. News: Kyaw . U . Maung . Thura . 6 November 2023 . After a four-day offensive, the revolutionary troops took over Kawlin . Burmese . . 6 November 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20231111131704/https://myanmar-now.org/mm/news/44609/. November 11, 2023.
  62. News: 13 February 2024 . Myanmar Junta Retakes Town From Civilian Government in Sagaing Region . . 13 February 2024. https://web.archive.org/web/20240213160046/https://www.irrawaddy.com/news/war-against-the-junta/myanmar-junta-retakes-town-from-civilian-government-in-sagaing-region.html. 13 February 2024.
  63. Web site: PDF fighters in Mandalay kill two police officers in spontaneous attack . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20210624202403/https://www.myanmar-now.org/en/news/pdf-fighters-in-mandalay-kill-two-police-officers-in-spontaneous-attack . 24 June 2021 . 22 June 2021 . Myanmar NOW . en.
  64. Web site: 22 June 2021. UPDATED: Two Civilian Fighters Killed Amid Shootout With Myanmar Junta Troops in Mandalay. 22 June 2021. The Irrawaddy. en-US. 22 June 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210622142037/https://www.irrawaddy.com/news/burma/two-civilian-fighters-killed-amid-shootout-with-myanmar-junta-troops-in-mandalay.html. live.
  65. Web site: 22 June 2021 . Myanmar militias vow to take on army after city firefight . registration . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20210622225527/https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/myanmar-army-clashes-with-anti-junta-militia-mandalay-city-2021-06-22/ . 22 June 2021 . 23 June 2021 . Reuters.
  66. Web site: Mandalay PDF 'declares war' on junta. 22 June 2021. Myanmar NOW. en. 22 June 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210622073101/https://www.myanmar-now.org/en/news/mandalay-pdf-declares-war-on-junta. live.
  67. News: ပြင်ဦးလွင်နှင့် နောင်ချိုမြို့နယ်အစပ် တိုက်ပွဲများတွင် စစ်တပ်ဘက်မှ ၁၀၀ ဝန်း ကျင်သေဆုံးဟု NUG ကာကွယ်ရေးဝန်ကြီးဌာနက ကြေညာ. NUG Ministry of Defense says around 100 regime soldiers were killed in the battles in Pyin Oo Lwin and Nawnghkio. 23 April 2023. 23 April 2023. Yangon Khit Thit Media. Burmese. 24 April 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20230424013402/https://yktnews.com/2023/04/%E1%80%95%E1%80%BC%E1%80%84%E1%80%BA%E1%80%A6%E1%80%B8%E1%80%9C%E1%80%BD%E1%80%84%E1%80%BA%E1%80%94%E1%80%BE%E1%80%84%E1%80%B7%E1%80%BA-%E1%80%94%E1%80%B1%E1%80%AC%E1%80%84%E1%80%BA%E1%80%81%E1%80%BB/. live.
  68. Web site: Karen Rebel Leader Warns Myanmar Regime of More Fighting . 3 June 2021 . The Irrawaddy . 8 July 2021 . 5 June 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210605233950/https://www.irrawaddy.com/in-person/interview/karen-rebel-leader-warns-myanmar-regime-of-more-fighting.html . live .
  69. News: 16 June 2021 . Myanmar village of Kin Ma burns down after clashes . en-GB . . live . 17 June 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210617161301/https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-57506196 . 17 June 2021.
  70. News: 2 October 2021. Mytel telecom tower has been destroyed by local people defense forces in Thanbyuzayat Township (in Burmese). Democratic Voice of Burma. 15 October 2021. 24 October 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20211024172111/https://burmese.dvb.no/archives/491585. live.
  71. Web site: 2022-03-15 . PDF တွေ ကျေးလက်ဒေသများစွာကို စိုးမိုးထိန်းချုပ်ထားဟု ဦးရည်မွန်ပြော. live . https://web.archive.org/web/20220511054651/https://burma.irrawaddy.com/news/2022/03/15/250613.html . 11 May 2022 . 2023-04-05 . ဧရာဝတီ . en-US.
  72. News: 27 March 2023. 27 March 2023. On the revolution day, YRF soldiers made a cursing ritual using Min Aung Hlaing's head. Burmese. Mizzima. 25 April 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20230425081501/https://www.mizzimaburmese.com/article/126082. live.
  73. News: 11 April 2023. 22 April 2023. Mong Pong Sayadaw gives Mandalay PDF wishes and charms. Burmese. Tachileik News Agency. 23 April 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20230423065228/https://www.tachileik.net/mm/multimedia/32380. live.
  74. News: 29 January 2024. 30 January 2024. ပြင်ဦးလွင်တွင် လုံခြုံရေး တင်းကျပ်ထားသည့်ကြားက PDF အလံလွှင့်ထူခံရ၍ တပ်နယ်မှူး ကြိမ်းမောင်းခံနေရပြီး ပြစ်ဒဏ်ပေးခံရနိုင်. A commandant likely to be punished for the PDF flag in Pyinoolwin, despite increased security. Burmese. Ayyeyarwaddy Times. January 30, 2024. https://web.archive.org/web/20240130035926/https://ayartimes.com/?p=31841.
  75. Yee Mon . U . Tin Thit . 28 May 2023 . State of People's Defense . Ministry of Defence, National Unity Government . Burmese . 31–42. https://web.archive.org/web/20230909034559/https://mod.nugmyanmar.org/en/%E1%80%80%E1%80%AC%E1%80%80%E1%80%BD%E1%80%9A%E1%80%BA%E1%80%9B%E1%80%B1%E1%80%B8%E1%80%80%E1%80%8F%E1%80%B9%E1%80%8D-%E1%80%A1%E1%80%81%E1%80%BC%E1%80%B1%E1%80%95%E1%80%BC/. September 9, 2023.
  76. Web site: Hein . Ye Myo . 16 September 2021 . Finding fault lines within the Tatmadaw . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20211010004804/https://www.frontiermyanmar.net/en/finding-fault-lines-within-the-tatmadaw/ . 10 October 2021 . 10 October 2021 . Frontier Myanmar . en-US.
  77. News: The CDM officers-led Thunder Guerrilla Force. 19 April 2023. RFA Burmese. Burmese. Phoe Khwar. Saw. Washington DC. 11 May 2023. 11 May 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20230511061311/https://www.rfa.org/burmese/multimedia/cdm-military-thunder-guerrilla-force-04192023160846.html. live.
  78. Web site: Thousands of Myanmar Soldiers and Police Have Joined Anti-Junta Forces Since Coup. 10 October 2021. Radio Free Asia. en. 10 October 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20211010004759/https://www.rfa.org/english/news/myanmar/defect-09022021203230.html. live.
  79. Web site: 23 August 2021. 2,000 Myanmar Junta Soldiers and Police Join Civil Disobedience Movement. 10 October 2021. The Irrawaddy. en-US. 10 October 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20211010004758/https://www.irrawaddy.com/news/burma/2000-myanmar-junta-soldiers-and-police-join-civil-disobedience-movement.html. live.
  80. Web site: 7 October 2021. Myanmar Military Detains North Western Commander for Planning to Defect: Ethnic Insurgent Sources. 10 October 2021. The Irrawaddy. en-US. 7 October 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20211007102131/https://www.irrawaddy.com/news/burma/myanmar-military-detains-north-western-commander-for-planning-to-defect-ethnic-insurgent-sources.html. live.
  81. Web site: Roughly 800 soldiers have fled the military since the coup, says defector . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20211010004803/https://www.myanmar-now.org/en/news/roughly-800-soldiers-have-fled-the-military-since-the-coup-says-defector . 10 October 2021 . 10 October 2021 . Myanmar NOW . en.
  82. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CuhKh3cC6sc With homemade rifles, Myanmar self-defence groups take fight to junta
  83. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M7hD-mWhCec Sagaing militias use hand-made guns in fight against junta rule
  84. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cYuaq1F8h1o ‘Tumee’ rifle is weapon of choice for anti-coup fighters in Myanmar’s Chin state
  85. Web site: 2021-06-06 . With homemade rifles, Myanmar self-defence groups take fight to junta . 2022-02-27 . Jordan Times . en . 27 February 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220227050955/http://www.jordantimes.com/news/world/homemade-rifles-myanmar-self-defence-groups-take-fight-junta . live .
  86. Web site: Ye Myo Hein. Understanding the People's Defense Forces in Myanmar. USIP.org. United States Institute of Peace. November 3, 2022. March 12, 2024. https://web.archive.org/web/20240405202143/https://www.usip.org/publications/2022/11/understanding-peoples-defense-forces-myanmar. April 5, 2024.
  87. News: Davis. Anthony. Myanmar PDFs getting the guns to turn the war. Asia Times. May 19, 2023. March 12, 2024. https://web.archive.org/web/20240109150931/https://asiatimes.com/2023/05/myanmar-pdfs-getting-the-guns-to-turn-the-war/. 9 January 2024. bot: unknown.
  88. War Noir . war_noir . 1463941096497627144. Here's an interesting content from #Myanmar (#Burma) for 20K followers: A photo of Kachin-made M23 "K-09" rifles, sent by a "Communist Party of Burma"/"People's Liberation Army" (#CPB/#PLA) fighter.. en . 25 November 2021. 19 March 2023 . https://ghostarchive.org/archive/yyJUE. 19 March 2023 . live.
  89. War Noir . war_noir . 1459854466337980421.
    1. Myanmar (#Burma): #Karen fighters (#KNLA/#KNU) have produced various anti-materiel rifles (some used by #PDF during trainings as well). These craft-produced AMRs are claimed to be chambered in 12.7x99mm mostly and called "50 cal snipers" —as expected.
    . en . 14 November 2021. 19 March 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20211114120340/https://twitter.com/war_noir/status/1459854466337980421. 14 November 2021 . live.
  90. Web site: Eydoux . Thomas . 2022-01-07 . How rebel fighters are using 3D-printed arms to fight the Myanmar junta . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20220227051005/https://observers.france24.com/en/asia-pacific/20220114-3d-printed-weapons-myanmar-rebels . 27 February 2022 . 2022-02-27 . The Observers - France 24 . en.
  91. Web site: SSTF လူငယ်တွေဦးဆောင်ပြီး FGC 9 ကာကွယ်ရေး ပြောင်းရှည်သေနတ်ထုတ်လုပ် . youtube.com . Mizzima News . my . video . April 10, 2023 . 16 April 2023 . 16 April 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230416163944/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cw3K-owAITc . live .
  92. https://www.rfa.org/english/news/myanmar/weapons-06102022164120.html Defector group says 4 combat weapons in production for fight against Myanmar junta
  93. News: Myanmar Resistance Groups Get Creative to Manufacture Weapons. The Irrawaddy. Aung. Nora. May 31, 2022. 20 March 2023. 20 March 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20230320013319/https://www.irrawaddy.com/news/burma/myanmar-resistance-groups-get-creative-to-manufacture-weapons.html. live.
  94. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gy84zCe9wbc တလကို သေနတ်အလက် ၂၀ ထုတ်လုပ်ရေးအဖွဲ့
  95. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wb98fZHKCE0 ကလလတ ကထုတ်တဲ့ TZ-23 မောင်းပြန် ရိုင်ဖယ်ဘယ်လောက် ပြင်းအားရှိသလဲ
  96. https://www.thadinmedia.com/?p=2375 ေမာင္းျပန္ေတြ ကိုယ္တိုင္ထုတ္ေနပီ ဂုဏ္ယူဝင့္ႂကြားစရာရၿပီငါတို႔✊ ႐ုပ္/သံ
  97. https://mpapress.com/%E1%80%9E%E1%80%90%E1%80%84%E1%80%BA%E1%80%B8/23854/ Chindwin Attack Force ထုတ်လုပ်ရေးစခန်းမီးလောင်၊သိန်း ၃၅၀ ကျော်ပျက်စီးဟုဆို
  98. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bmLBNCfXC34&t=990s Myanmar: The Rebel Army
  99. News: How Myanmar's rebel fighters are using 3D-printed guns to challenge military rulers. Al Jazeera English. April 2, 2024.
  100. News: Myanmar: The DIY weapons factories arming anti-junta fighters. Ball. Sam. France24. November 8, 2022. 20 March 2023. 20 March 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20230320013319/https://www.france24.com/en/video/20221108-myanmar-the-diy-weapons-factories-arming-anti-junta-fighters. live.
  101. Web site: October 26, 2022 . Ready to Kill: Inside the Weapons Factories of the Myanmar Resistance . https://web.archive.org/web/20221125013047/https://www.frontiermyanmar.net/en/ready-to-kill-inside-the-weapons-factories-of-the-resistance/ . November 25, 2022 . Frontline Myanmar.
  102. Web site: Nash. Edward. Improvised Weapons of the Myanmar PDFs. youtube.com. en. video. February 7, 2022. 20 March 2023. 20 March 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20230320013319/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5f04YXtRQ4U. live.
  103. Web site: Manufacturing the Revolution: Weapons and Explosives Craft-Produced by Myanmar's Anti-Junta Fighters. Militant Wire. October 31, 2022. 20 March 2023. 20 March 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20230320013320/https://www.militantwire.com/p/manufacturing-the-revolution-weapons. live.
  104. https://twitter.com/TheChindwin/status/1494662119333130243 Myanmar military junta’s fighter jet has been shot down in Kayah State. Locals have witnessed the fighter jet falling down from the sky with fire. However, Chindwin is unable to verify the report although our source says the junta's fighter jet appears to be shot down.

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "People's Defence Force (Myanmar)".

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