People's Independence Organization / People's Independence Army

The People Independence Organization/People Independence Army (PIO/PIA) was founded[1] in December 2021 through the joint consultation of student union members who received military training in Arakan Army (AA)-controlled areas of Rakhine State, civil servants taking part in the CDM movement, and youth activists. On December 6, it formed its Central Committee[2]. The Central Committee includes Comrade Moe Nay La, Ko Nyi Nyi Aung and Ko Min Kyaw (information officer).

The PIA is placed under the PIO's political leadership, regards military affairs as a consequence of political problems, and the organization has clearly set five basic principles[3]. It looks toward a new federal democratic state with basic social justice and social security.

According to the PIO/PIA declaration, it accepts the line of fighting the "three militaries" (the military government, the military clique and the military bureaucratic machinery), will cooperate politically and militarily with individuals and organizations from all social strata resisting military dictatorship by various means, and wants the emergence of a coalition aimed at unity.

On February 20, 2022, the PIO/PIA formed a joint committee[4] with three objectives together with the People's Revolutionary Force – Central Region (PRF) and the People's Revolutionary Force – Western Region (PRF), aiming to organize for the broadening and consolidation of allied forces.

On April 22, 2022, the joint committee issued a position stating that terrorist junta leader Senior General Min Aung Hlaing's offer of peace to ethnic armed forces via Myawaddy TV, and his talk of building a democratic federal union, were an attempt to divide the forces taking part in the Spring Revolution[5]; that the leaders and all political prisoners and people under arrest must be released unconditionally, as all peoples of all ethnicities want; and that military preparations, offensives, clearance operations and violent killings in various areas must stop completely.

On June 10, 2023, it announced[6] an alliance with the Asho Chin Defence Force (ACDF).

Although it did not release military news in its early period, from June 24, 2023, it began issuing statements through its social media page. The army fought armed battles in two military regions, in Rakhine State and Karenni State. In the battle between revolutionary joint forces and units under the terrorist junta's Light Infantry Division (66) in Hpekhon Township, Shan State, the PIO/PIA fought[7] jointly with the DMO Local-PDF column. It then also fought the terrorist junta in Pruso and Bawlakhe townships together with Karenni-based revolutionary forces. On April 10, 2024, it took part in allied operations in Ann Township, Rakhine State.

The PIA has now completed three training intakes, and when the terrorist junta enacted and enforced the forced conscription law, on February 11, 2024, it called up[8] Intake 4 under the title "Join the Terrorist Army, or Join the People-Loved Revolutionary Organization?" and is continuing training. Each intake has about 100 new recruits [9], giving it a strength in the hundreds.

Flag - https://www.facebook.com/peopleindependencearmy/posts/pfbid08EW9uCBcYCD9iE4DKutgxnbAR4L1HSSb96v4yBo4tm6MgpKgtUeSWMLVbYSoxPrNl

[1]https://www.rfa.org/burmese/multimedia/rakhine-people-independence-army-03052023112154.html

[2]https://yktnews.com/2023/02/88326/

[3]https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=114965614416949&set=pb.100077480495211.-2207520000

[4]https://www.facebook.com/peopleindependencearmy/posts/pfbid08244G69JhjC5rk6LuTGFLVL7RYXAZPFZGQmtVUA8ykPnaRsm1nXMTHsBfACsJE9Hl

[5]https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=140661505180693&set=a.103117072268470

[6]https://www.facebook.com/peopleindependencearmy/posts/pfbid0gC8JF5JMkiHJYSPohkbQwyD9XXhQLEow6JNPjtmYXsG17HxNQf3JwTJfAp7tnXK1l

[7]https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=289496736976341&set=a.249731497619532

[8]https://burma.irrawaddy.com/article/2023/10/13/375375.html

[9]https://www.facebook.com/MizzimaDaily/photos/a.320351647999747/5770754762959381/?type=3