Rift seen in the Northern Alliance as locals complaint about the opposition fighters forcibly recruiting child soldiers from Buddhist monastery
Taang ethnic Buddhist novice recruited by MNDAA
Yangon 22 November 2023
The Taang (Palang) ethnic media outlet from the trouble area of North Eastern frontline reported that the ethnic Chinese led MNDAA Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army, disrobed 3 Taang ethnic teenaged Buddhist novices on 21 November and recruited as soldiers.
The Shwee Phee Myay News Agency is Taang (Palaung) ethnic media which is the mouthpiece of Taang National Liberation Army TNLA that made up Northern Alliance Brotherhood along with ethnic Chinese led MNDAA and ethnic Rakhine (Arakan) lad Arakan Army AA. The report stated that 3 teenaged Buddhist novices from Hay Moe Long Monastery in Mong Koe township which was just occupied by the alliance forces a few weeks ago, were forced to be disrobed by MNDAA unit led by a commander called U Laung Ann. There were total of 24 Buddhist novices initially abducted and 22 are released while 4 including 3 teenagers were recruited as soldiers. The child soldiers who were forcibly recruited by MNDAA are name as 12 year old Ashin Zaniya, Ashin Zar na 15 and Ashin Arr Seinna 16 from Taang ethnic group. The local Taang society groups were said to protest the recruitment but MNDAA’s spokesman Li Kyar Win said the MNDAA was just following its recruitment policy.
This is the first sign of rift in the Northern Alliance brotherhood that made up different ethnic groups with varying interests. The recruitment of child soldiers by the rival functions in the world’s longest ongoing civil war is not new in Myanmar. Although the Junta army have some development on cracking down such practice in collaboration with International and local non-government organizations during brief Democratic reform of 2010-2020 period, its rival armed forces which number in the hundreds openly recruiting and using child soldiers. After 2021 coup mass exodus of most of thousands of young political activists who join the Peoples’ Defense Force PDF which is formed by Suu Kyi’s NLD party are teenagers who is prod to called themselves Generation Z who were born after year 2000. A quick research on popular social media platforms in Burmese language will reveal the extent of teens and child soldiers proudly mentioning how young they were when they join those various opposition armies of Myanmar.
There is no official comment from Taang ethnic TNLA about the recruitment of its ethnic children by their ally MNDAA.
There are protests in major cities around Myanmar by various Civil Society Organizations for the abduction of 204 teachers and family members from the Kayah State University by ethnic Kayah KNDF and PDF opposition forces. The statements released from the opposition armed forces and its political wing contradict the status of the state university employees whom they regard as Junta Government’s employee and sympathizers. The Junta spokesman released the statement on 21 November that they will try to evacuate their employees and threatened KNDF/PDF forces for serious consequences if the captives are harmed.
In the Western most Rakhine (Arakan) State, the opposition AA forces captured two passenger ships and crews belong to the Public Transport Department near Pauk Taw city.
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