BPLA troops to relocate to Myanmar’s dry zone

The Bamar People’s Liberation Army (BPLA), an armed resistance group taking part in the anti-junta offensive in northern Shan State, says it is relocating its troops to central Myanmar’s dry zone. The group’s leader, poet Maung Saungkha from Mandalay Region, announced the move in a Facebook post on Sunday. He added that the BPLA has more than 1,200 troops and is currently trying to recruit another 600. The BPLA played a crucial role in the occupation of several towns and villages in northern Shan State during Operation 1027, the offensive launched by the Brotherhood Alliance on October 27 of last year. The BPLA and other resistance groups assisted the alliance—consisting of the Ta’ang National Liberation Army (TNLA), the Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army, and the Arakan Army—by disrupting junta supply lines and carrying out various other operations. These efforts culminated in the capture of the Northeastern Regional Military Command headquarters in Lashio, northern Shan State’s largest city, in early August. As a result of these military gains, anti-junta groups now dominate key trade routes between Myanmar and China and control valuable mining operations and mineral resources in the region. However, China has responded to the offensive—which it fears could lead to the collapse of the regime—by pressuring the groups, including by blocking food and medical supplies into areas under their control. While the TNLA continues its military operations, other groups involved in the broader campaign are now facing challenges in determining their next steps. BPLA commander Lin Lin stated that the relocation aligns with the group’s original goal of conducting military operations against junta forces in predominantly Bamar areas, leveraging the combat experience and weapons acquired during their engagements in northern Shan State. Founded in April 2021 in southern Myanmar with support from the Karen National Union—the country's oldest ethnic armed group—and trained by the Arakan Army, the BPLA operates independently of the National Unity Government’s People’s Defence Force.

BPLA troops to relocate to Myanmar’s dry zone

The group says it plans to turn its attention to ethnic Bamar areas after months of fighting in northern Shan State

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