Alliances
Ta’ang National Liberation Army (TNLA), Arakan Army (AA), Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army (MNDAA), Kachin Independence Army (KIA)
Organization Name
People’s Defense Army (Mandalay) (MDY-PDF)
Armed Force
People’s Defense Army (Mandalay) (MDY-PDF)
Political Organization
National Unity Government (NUG)
History in Brief
Established – February 25, 2021
Headquarters – TNLA-controlled area of northern Shan State
Areas of operation – Madaya Township, Singu Township, Pyin Oo Lwin Township, Mogok Township, Patheingyi Township, Amarapura Township, and Thabeikkyin Township in Mandalay Region, Nawnghkio Township, Lashio Township, and Namsang Township in Shan State, and areas where the TNLA is active.
Estimated strength – Unknown
Leader – Mon Dine (in charge of operations and organization)
Some individuals who had participated in peaceful protest groups in Mandalay that opposed the coup later became members of the MDY-PDF. These group members then decided to engage in armed resistance after the State Administration Council’s (SAC) military troops and police opened fire and violently suppressed the protest groups on February 25, 2021. When the SAC started to arrest protest leaders in Mandalay, elected representatives from the National League for Democracy (NLD) party that won the 2020 general election, as well as activists, fled to ethnic territories controlled by armed organizations. Some of these elected representatives were among the leaders who formed an armed force to represent Mandalay. In early March 2021, a group of protesters, CDM staff, and students gathered to form the Mandalay Special Task Force (MSTF) and began an urban guerrilla movement. The MSTF is one of many urban guerrilla forces that emerged in Mandalay after the military coup. MSTF members ran operations in Mandalay for about four months, linking with ethnic armed organizations based in northern and southern Myanmar, receiving military training and ammunition.
On May 10, 2021, representatives of the MSTF officially contacted the Ta’ang National Liberation Army (TNLA). In June 2021, while receiving military training from the TNLA, it was decided to transform the MSTF from an urban guerrilla force into a resistance force. The MSTF was then renamed the People’s Defense Force (Mandalay)/MDY-PDF. The MDY-PDF has established bases in the TNLA’s active areas of control while receiving military training, as such towns in Mandalay Region and the northern Shan State, where the TNLA operates, are strategically located. As Mandalay is an urban area with a strong SAC presence, it is difficult for resistance forces to operate urban bases; thus, the MDY-PDF chose to establish their bases in TNLA territory. To become a permanent armed force, the MDY-PDF has continued to build up its forces in the northern Shan State territory controlled by the TNLA. As such, the TNLA has become one of the largest allied forces backing the MDY-PDF.
The MDY-PDF’s earliest attack on the SAC was on February 14, 2022, when they attacked SAC’s military camp near Gway Pin village on the Mandalay-Mogok motorway. They launched “Operation Waso” in September 2022, “Operation Raza Naing” which targeted the chief minister’s convoy in Mandalay on March 24, 2023, “Operation Thapyaynyo” in April, and “Operation Kanaung” in July in collaboration with the TNLA. When the TLNA participated in Operation 1027 of the Three Brotherhood Alliance in October, the MDY-PDF has also been running “Operation Taungthaman” in support of Operation 1027. During “Operation Taungthaman,” the MDY-PDF notably captured SAC military camps in Thanbo Village, Nawnghkio Township, near Pyinoolwin on January 3, 2024, in collaboration with the TNLA. On April 15, 2024 they also captured SAC military camps in Thayetkone Village, also in Nawnghkio Township. On April 14, 2024, the MDY-PDF launched an attack on the Defense Service Academy, the Defense Service Technological Academy, and the SAC Administrative Office, coinciding with the SAC Chairperson’s visit to Pyinoolwin. Some artillery shells landed in residential areas and an orthopedic hospital, killing two monks and two civilians and injuring 14 others, including children. The two sides accused one another of the damage resulting from the exchange of artillery fire.
The MDY-PDF is under the chain of command of the Ministry of Defense of the National Unity Government. However, they operate under independent leadership in certain aspects and operations, given their geographical distance from the command areas of the military regions established by the NUG.
Mission and Objectives
The political position, mission, and objectives of the MDY-PDF are as follows:
Political position
- To work with political and military allies who share the same goal of toppling the military dictatorship
- To aim to build a people’s army that protects the people and promotes the prosperity of the people
- To strive for the emergence of a federal democratic system that is full of freedom, equality, and justice
Political mission
- To establish a new and true federal democratic state that guarantees peace and prosperity
Military Objectives
- To topple the military dictatorship
- To reclaim SAC territories that are currently under forced rule
- To establish and strengthen the people’s territories based on military, advocacy, and administrative capabilities
Leaders and Central Committee Members
MDY-PDF battalions are directly under the command of the Military Command Team, which holds the highest authority in the organization. The Central Working Committee (CWC) oversees the implementation of policies set by the Military Command Team, strengthening of the dual Chains of Command, and the development of the armed force. Under the Central Working Committee, subordinate working committees are formed with representatives from each battalion and military department. The working committees report to the Central Working Committee, the Central Working Committee to the Military Command Team, and the Military Command Team to the Ministry of Defense (MOD) of the National Unity Government.
At present, the only leaders mentioned are Mon Dine, who oversees operations and organization; Maung Phyo Wai and Dr. Soe Thura Zaw, members of the Military Command Team; and Osmond, responsible for information and communication.
Ceasefires and Peace Process Participation
None
Organization Participation
None
Political and Military Stance since the Coup
The group decided to launch an armed uprising within a month of the SAC’s violent crackdown on peaceful protesters following the coup. They then formed a fighting force led by strike committees, CDM staff, and students with the help of allied ethnic armed organizations. Their ultimate political mission is the establishment of a federal democratic state.
Liaison Offices
None
Brigades
The People’s Defense Force (Mandalay) is under the command of the Ministry of Defense of the National Unity Government and is organized into seven battalions: Battalions 1201, 1202, 1203, 1204, 1205, 1206, and 1207.
The MDY-PDF announced on December 30, 2024, that they would establish a new brigade in Sagaing Region. The number of battalions under the newly formed brigade has not been disclosed.
The MDY-PDF announced the plans to establish a brigade in the Sagaing Region due to the need for accelerated military operations, as the areas under their control are geographically close parts of the Sagaing Region.
Contact Information
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/p/Voice-of-Mandalay-PDF-100084602090156/
