New Democratic Army – Kachin
Former ethnic armed group in Myanmar
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The New Democratic Army – Kachin (Burmese: ကချင်ဒီမိုကရေစီသစ် တပ်မတော်; abbreviated NDA-K), officially known as the Kachin Border Guard Force, was an armed insurgent group that operated in Kachin State, Myanmar. After signing a ceasefire agreement with the military of Myanmar in 1989, it was subsequently converted into a pro-Tatmadaw militia, eventually officially being converted into a Border Guard Force in November 2009.[1][2][3]
Layawk Zelum
Ying Zelum
2009 – Present(As BGF)
Myanmar-China border
| New Democratic Army – Kachin | |
|---|---|
| ကချင်ဒီမိုကရေစီသစ် တပ်မတော် | |
Flag of the NDA-K | |
Leaders | Zahkung Ting Ying (a.k.a. S'Khon Tein Yein) Layawk Zelum Ying Zelum |
| Dates active | 1989–2009 (As NDA-K) 2009 – Present(As BGF) |
| Headquarters | Pangwa, Kachin State |
| Active regions | Kachin State, Myanmar Myanmar-China border |
| Ideology | Kachin nationalism Communism[1] |
| Size | 200–300; 700 (peak)[1] |
| Wars | the internal conflict in Myanmar |
History
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 and ethnic differences.[1][4] The KIO was led by members of the Jingpo subgroup, while the NDA-K is led by members of the Lacid subgroup.[5] 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.[2]
Myanmar civil war (2021 - present)
On 15 October 2024, as part of wider Operation 0307, the Kachin Independence Army (KIA) captured BGF Battalion 1002 from the NDA-K following a week of fighting. It was one of three BGF Battalions held by the NDA-K.[6]
On 21 October, the KIA captured the town of Pang War from the NDA-K.[7]
On 22 October, the KIA captured another BGF Battalion, Battalion 1003, near Kanpaikti, leaving only one Battalion left, Battalion 1001.[8][9] On 23 October, the KIA sealed off the home of NDA-K leader Zahkung Ting Ying in Pang War. Attempts to locate him in Pang War were unsuccessful.[10]
On 31 October, KIA and PDF forces capture the last BGF Battalion 1001 HQ near Phimaw, Myitkyina District. NDA-K and allied Junta troops then fled to the Chinese border town of Ganfai.[11]
On 20 November, the KIA captured Kanpaikti, the final stronghold of the BGF.[12] The town's capture leaves only the city of Muse as the last border crossing along the China/Myanmar border under Junta control.[12]
The KIA's victory at Kanpaikti has rendered the NDA-K virtually completely defeated.[13]
Splinter group
A Rawang leader Lauban Tanggu Dang (Ah Dang; Burmese: တန်ဂူးတန်) established the Rebellion Resistance Force from the NDA-K group.[14]
Leader
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 of Burma and established the CPB's 101 War Zone with Zaluman, another KIA defector.[15][16] In 2016, he was expelled from the Pyidaungsu Hluttaw for violating election laws while campaigning.[17]
Illegal rare-earth mining
Illegal rare earth mining has surged in NDA-K held areas bordering China following the 2021 Myanmar coup d'état.[18][19] In April 2021, 100 rare earth mines were found in the area controlled by the militia.[20] As the Chinese government cracked down on domestic rare earth mining, it has outsourced the destructive mining to Kachin State.[21] 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.[21] Zahkung Ting Ying and other militia leaders have profited from this extractive industry.[21] In December 2021, US$200 million in rare earths were exported to China.[21]