Myanmar Spring Chronicle – July 17 Perspective
MoeMaKa, July 18, 2025
Armed Clashes Between PDF Groups in Yaw Region
On July 15, in Tilin Township, northern Magway Region, an incident occurred in which members of the PDF group “Generation Z Army (GZA),” including its self-proclaimed chief of staff, were ambushed and attacked not by junta forces or Pyusawhti militia, but by other unidentified armed actors.
According to reports, the GZA unit, comprising chief of staff Myo Htet Aung, a battalion commander, two medics, and two members of the Yaw Defense Force (YDF), were ambushed between Kansunt Htaung and Yinma villages. Some sustained serious injuries, and some were reportedly captured. Some reports suggest the incident may be linked to a previous escape in May, when several detainees broke out of YDF custody. Allegedly, a YDF officer named Pon Kan and several soldiers who escaped have since attacked the GZA and YDF group.
In the Yaw area, several armed groups are active, including the Yaw Defense Force (YDF), the Yaw Army (YA), and now GZA. According to reports, these groups are not under the National Unity Government (NUG).
This incident reflects rising tensions, factionalism, and a lack of coordination among armed anti-junta groups, which undermines the overall goal of defeating the military dictatorship. Just a week prior, a similar clash occurred in Chin State between two Chin armed groups over control of Rihkhawdar, a border town seized from the junta. One group affiliated with the Chin National Front (CNF) and the Chinland Council was attacked by a group associated with the Chin Brotherhood.
Divisions between major Chin factions like the CNF-led Chinland Council and the Chin Brotherhood have been apparent, especially in military operations and town seizures. While the existence of multiple armed factions is not inherently wrong, their failure to unify or coordinate weakens the broader resistance effort against the junta.
In contrast, regions like Rakhine, Kachin, Kokang, Wa, and Palaung are dominated by single, strong armed groups. But in places like Shan, Karen, Mon, Chin, and Kayah (Karenni), multiple groups operate, often with competing interests. In central Myanmar’s “Yaw region”—including Mandalay, Sagaing, and Magway—PDF factions number in the dozens.
Though these groups were formed to resist the junta, tensions over territorial control, taxation, resource rights, and conscription have increasingly led to inter-group conflicts. Such infighting—especially when it escalates to armed clashes—distracts from the common goal and weakens the overall revolutionary effort.
As the resistance enters its fifth year, the need for unified political and military strategy among all anti-junta forces is more pressing than ever. Recent town and base losses, publicized conflicts, and declining morale among the civilian population—due to prolonged war, lack of justice, and reports of abuses by some resistance factions—are eroding public confidence in the revolution’s ability to reach its goals.