Deutsche Welle :
The Bamar People’s Liberation Army (BPLA) has emerged as one of the key players among newly formed resistance groups in Myanmar’s ongoing civil war.
Since Myanmar’s military junta toppled the democratically elected government in a 2021 coup, it has faced heavy resistance from organized militias that are mainly divided along ethnic lines.
Formed after the coup, the BPLA represents a new element in the resistance – both with its military tactics and with its inclusive approach that welcomes fighters from various ethnic backgrounds. It has recently grown to around 2,000 fighters.
The Bamar are the largest ethnic group in Myanmar, and make up around 68% of the population in the central regions. Historically, they have dominated the country’s political and military landscape.
However, Myanmar is a deeply diverse nation with over 135 ethnic groups, including the Shan, Karen, Rakhine, and many others.
The rise of the BPLA is seen as an ideological shift within the Bamar itself that rejects the idea of a Bamar-dominated state, and looks towards a more inclusive future for Myanmar.
From poet to resistance fighter
The BPLA’s commander is 31-year-old Maung Saungkha, a former poet and activist who was a popular advocate for free speech and human rights.
Saungkha’s transition from poet to military leader reflects a broader transformation within Myanmar, where ordinary citizens have been thrust into extraordinary roles in fighting for democracy, and in many cases, their own survival.
In 2015, he was sentenced to six months in prison for publishing a poem about having a tattoo of former Myanmar president Thein Sein on his penis.
He was arrested again in 2020 for displaying a banner criticizing internet shutdown in Rakhine State as a plot to hide “war crimes and killings” in the wake of persecution of Rohingya Muslims in the region.