Kayan National Army

Not to be confused with the Kuki National Army or the Karen National Army.

The Kayan National Army (Burmese: ကယန်းအမျိုးသားတပ်မတော်; abbr. KNA) is an armed ethnic Kayan paramilitary group formed from a merger of once-independent smaller guerrilla groups,

Kayan National Army
ကယန်းအမျိုးသားတပ်မတော်
Flag of the Kayan National Army
Leaders	Khun Saungdu[1]
Dates of operation	October 29, 2024 (2024-10-29) – present
Headquarters	Pekon Township, Shan State
Active regions	Demoso Township Loikaw Township Pekon Township
Ideology	Federalism Democracy Minority rights Kayan Nationalism
Allies	State Allies National Unity Government[citation needed] Non-state allies Karenni National People's Liberation Front Karenni Nationalities Defence Force Kayan New Land Army Karenni Army Local PDFs People's Defence Force
Opponents	Myanmar (SAC) Tatmadaw  Myanmar Army Eastern Command Myanmar Police Force Pyusawhti militias
Battles and wars	Internal conflict in Myanmar Myanmar civil war (2021–present)

Origins and objectives

The KNA was established to unify smaller Karenni anti-junta forces established after the 2021 Myanmar coup d'etat. After overthrowing the State Administration Council junta, the KNA plans to serve as a transitional armed force for a future Karenni state that will encompass areas such as Mobye, Loikaw, Demoso, Pekon, and Pyinmana.^[1][2]

The KNA is reportedly backed by the Kayan New Land Party, which helped establish the KNA as a specifically Kayan ethnic army, in conflict with the inclusive KNDF.^[3]

Relationships with other armed groups

Some Karenni people criticized the formation of the KNA as multiple other Karenni anti-junta militias are still active. KNA leadership responded that they will cooperate with groups fighting against the military regime. ^[4][5] U Aung San Myint (a party secretary of the Karenni Army's political wing, the Karenni National Progressive Party) also assured that the KNA's formation will not hamper anti-dictatorship efforts.^[6]

While the KNA recognizes the authority of the National Unity Government of Myanmar, they are not part of the NUG MOD. Nonetheless, the KNA stated that they will not force Karenni Local PDFs to join them.^[1]