Headquarters Namhsan, Myanmar | Area of operations Tawngpeng, Shan State | |
 | ||
Active January 1992 (1992-01)–present Ideology Ta'ang nationalism
Federalism Leaders Tar Aik Bong
Tar Bone Kyaw
Tar Hod Plarng Strength 1,500–3,500
5,000 (TNLA claim) | ||
The Ta'ang National Liberation Army (Burmese: တအောင်း အမျိုးသား လွတ်မြောက်ရေး တပ်မတော်; abbreviated TNLA) is an insurgent group in Myanmar (Burma), and the armed wing of the Palaung State Liberation Front (PSLF). The TNLA is known for its operations against opium poppy cultivation, destroying poppy fields, heroine refineries and meth labs.
Opium smugglers that are caught by the TNLA are arrested, and the TNLA claim that narcotics seized are hidden in the jungle to be publicly burned on special occasions to deter drug smuggling. The TNLA have engaged government forces numerous times during their operations against opium production, as their main objective is to achieve self-determination for the Ta'ang (Palaung) people.
History
The TNLA originated as the Palaung State Liberation Organization/Army (PSLO/A), which signed a ceasefire agreement with the government in 1991 and disarmed in 2005. After the dissolution of the PSLO/A, Ta'ang (Palaung) leaders Tar Aik Bong and Tar Bone Kyaw founded the TNLA alongside the PSLF to continue fighting for the self-determination of the Ta'ang people. The TNLA is presently allied with the Kachin Independence Army and the Shan State Army - South, and have been conducting operations alongside them in northern Shan State.
Following the 2010 general election and constitutional reforms in 2011, the government created the Pa Laung Self-Administered Zone in northern Shan State as a special self-administration zone for the Ta'ang people. The region is one of the most underdeveloped in the country, with few schools and hospitals.