As Myanmar’s civil war drags on, resistance forces face growing recruitment challenges

Armed resistance groups fighting Myanmar’s military have seen a decline in new recruits and growing manpower shortages as the country’s civil war enters its sixth year, according to resistance leaders and people familiar with the groups' operations. The reported decline contrasts with the early years following the military's 2021 coup, when thousands of young people joined newly formed resistance organisations and long-established ethnic armed groups after nationwide protests were violently suppressed. Resistance officials and sources told Myanmar Now that battlefield casualties, desertions, dwindling numbers of volunteers from urban areas, shortages of weapons and ammunition, and public criticism of some resistance groups have all contributed to reduced recruitment. The military, meanwhile, has sought to replenish its ranks through mandatory military service after introducing conscription in 2024, a move widely viewed as a response to mounting battlefield losses. Resistance groups say the influx of conscripts has enabled junta forces to regain momentum in some areas by launching new offensives and recapturing territory previously lost. Unlike several ethnic armed organisations, most resistance forces established after the coup—including People's Defence Force (PDF) units under the National Unity Government (NUG)—depend largely on volunteers rather than compulsory recruitment. The NUG announced in 2023 that more than 300 PDF battalions had been formed, along with People’s Defence Organisations (PDOs) in more than 250 townships. The total number of resistance fighters nationwide remains unknown. In addition to the PDF, there are also other armed organisations formed after the coup that operate independently of the NUG, including the People’s Liberation Army (PLA), the Karenni Nationalities Defence Force (KNDF), and other groups based on ethnicity or mainly active in specific regions of the country. KNDF fighters at a troop unification and commander selection ceremony (Photo: KNDF Battalion 7) Natural depletion Some long-established ethnic armed organisations supplement voluntary enlistment with compulsory recruitment in areas under their control. The Arakan Army, for example, enforces mandatory military service for eligible residents in territory it administers. Dr. Soe Thura Zaw, deputy commander-in-chief of the PDF, said attrition was an expected consequence of a prolonged conflict. “It is natural to have troop depletion through casualties, injuries, and desertions during war,” he told Myanmar Now in May. He dismissed military claims that large numbers of resistance fighters were surrendering as psychological warfare and said committed recruits continued to join, albeit at a slower pace. PLA spokesperson Wai Yan Phyo Moe said most resistance organisations had experienced both desertions and declining enlistment. “It is true that new recruitment has decreased,” he said. “The number of youth fleeing from urban areas to join the armed revolution has dropped drastically.” He added that some new recruits also leave after relatively short periods of service. In Karenni State, one of the conflict’s most active fronts, the KNDF has begun reorganising units after sustaining losses and experiencing personnel shortages. Statements issued by KNDF battalions indicate that several of its depleted units have been merged since the beginning of this year to rebuild battalions to a standard strength of about 300 troops. The process expected to continue through to the end of the year, the group said. The cost of casualties Tun Kyaw, chair of the Karenni National People’s Liberation Front, said in a June 6 interview that personnel shortages were largely attributable to high casualty rates, with fighting around Karenni State’s Hpasawng Township taking an especially heavy toll. About 800 Karenni resistance fighters were killed or wounded during months of clashes to hold the area, he said. Sources close to the KNDF also cited heavy casualties as a cause of troop depletion, but added that the group’s policy of allowing members to leave the force after completing two-year service commitments had also contributed to the decline in manpower. Another source pointed to ammunition shortages as a factor limiting military operations. “Without enough ammunition, we cannot launch operations, so some comrades have taken a break,” the source said. “If supplies improve and operations resume, they will return.” Wai Yan Phyo Moe said changing demographics have also affected recruitment, noting that many young people now reaching adulthood were children during the 2021 coup and did not directly witness the military’s crackdown on anti-coup demonstrations. He also argued that military authorities have sought to steer young people away from armed resistance through entertainment and educational opportunities while suppressing political activism. At the same time, he said, some supporters of the resistance had alienated potential recruits through uncompromising rhetoric and internal misconduct. “To solve these problems, the revolution must shift away from mindsets detached from the public, and look beyond the mere possession of weapons,” he said, adding that resistance organisations needed to strengthen accountability, deepen engagement with local communities, and expand civilian administration in areas under their control.

As Myanmar’s civil war drags on, resistance forces face growing recruitment challenges

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