New Democratic Army – Kachin
The New Democratic Army – Kachin (Burmese: ကချင်ဒီမိုကရေစီသစ် တပ်မတော်; abbreviated NDA-K) was an armed insurgent group that operated from 1989 until its conversion into a "border guard force" in November 2009.[1][3][4]
| New Democratic Army – Kachin | |
|---|---|
| ကချင်ဒီမိုကရေစီသစ် တပ်မတော် | |
| Leaders | Zahkung Ting Ying (a.k.a. S'Khon Tein Yein) Layawk Zelum Ying Zelum |
| Dates of operation | 1989 – November 2009 |
| Headquarters | Pangwa, Kachin State |
| Active regions | Kachin State, Myanmar Myanmar-China border |
| Ideology | Kachin nationalism Communism[1] |
| Size | 200–300; 700 (peak)[1] |
| Allies | Union of Myanmar |
| Opponents | State opponents Union of Myanmar (until 1989) |
| Battles and wars | Internal conflict in Myanmar |
History edit
The NDA-K was founded in 1989 by former Kachin Independence Organization (KIO) officers Zahkung Ting Ying (a.k.a. S'Khon Tein Yein), Layawk Zelum, and Ying Zelum, when they led a communist faction of 700 soldiers that split from the KIO due to its political differences.[1][2] In the same year, the group agreed to a ceasefire with the government, and it de facto operated under the Tatmadaw's command as a "special regional task force".[1]
The group received a budget, rations, and supplies from the government. Additionally, 600 soldiers were paid by the government as part of the Myanmar Police Force.[1] In November 2009, the group became one of the first insurgent groups under a ceasefire agreement to convert into a "border guard force". Some members have since joined the Kachin State Progressive Party (KSPP) to contest in the 2010 general election.[3]
Splinter group edit
A Rawang leader Lauban Tanggu Dang (Ah Dang; Burmese: တန်ဂူးတန်) established the Rebellion Resistance Force from the NDA-K group.
Leader edit
Zahkung Ting Ying is a Ngochang from the Yunnan Frontier.[citation needed] In 1968, he split from Kachin Independence Army and joined the Communist Party if Burma and established the CPB's 101 War Zone with Zaluman, another KIA defector.[5][6] In 2016, he was expelled from the Pyidaungsu Hluttaw for violating election laws while campaigning.[7]
Illegal rare-earth mining edit
Illegal rare earth mining has surged in NDA-K held areas bordering China following the 2021 Myanmar coup d'état.[8][9] In April 2021, 100 rare earth mines were found in the area controlled by the militia.[10] As the Chinese government cracked down on domestic rare earth mining, it has outsourced the destructive mining to Kachin State.[11] As of March 2022[update], 2,700 mining collection pools scattered across 300 separate locations were found in Kachin State, encompassing the area of Singapore, and an exponential increase from 2016.[11] Zakhung Ting Ying and other militia leaders have profited from this extractive industry.[11] In December 2021, US$200 million in rare earths were exported to China.[11]
See also edit
References edit
- ^ a b c d e f . Archived from the original on 23 October 2017. Retrieved 31 December 2015.
- ^ a b NDA-K's Ting Ying declares Burma army will wipeout KIA
- ^ a b Global Security – Kachin
- ^ Asian Correspondent – NDA-K: Burma needs to value peace talks in Kachin State
- ^ http://jinghpawkasa.blogspot.com/2009/07/zahkung-ting-ying.html "Zawhkung Ting Ying" Jinghpaw Kasa, 2009
- ^ Lintner, B. The Rise and fall of the Communist party of Burma, SEAP Publications, 1990, p25
- ^ Nyan Hlaing Lynn,June 25, 2016,Kachin militia leader expelled from Union Parliament, Frontier. https://frontiermyanmar.net/en/kachin-militia-leader-expelled-from-union-parliament
- ^ "Illegal rare earth mining harms environment in Myanmar's Kachin state". Radio Free Asia. Retrieved 27 March 2023.
- ^ "Rare Earths in Myanmar: Unobtanium?". The Diplomat. 14 June 2021. Retrieved 27 March 2023.
- ^ "Illegal Rare Earth Mines on China Border Multiply Since Myanmar's Coup". The Irrawaddy. 26 April 2021. Retrieved 27 March 2023.
- ^ a b c d "Myanmar's poisoned mountains". Global Witness. 9 August 2022. Retrieved 27 March 2023.