PDF Marks 5th Anniversary — NUG Acting President Urges Fighters Not to Lose Sight of Goals; PM Calls for EAO Unity

The People's Defence Force (PDF) marked its fifth anniversary on May 5, 2026, with high-level NUG statements stressing resilience amid a challenging period of territorial losses. NUG Acting President Duwa Lashi La publicly addressed PDF forces, urging them not to lose sight of their ultimate goal despite ongoing setbacks including the Falam loss (April 25-26), the Bo Nagar defection (late April), and the Mawlu highway corridor setback. Prime Minister Mahn Win Khaing Than called for continued unity with ethnic armed organization (EAO) partners, emphasizing the importance of the coalition even as the junta's new government (inaugurated April 10) attempts to exploit divisions in the resistance front. The PDF was formally established on May 5, 2021, following the People's Defence Force Inauguration order issued by the National Unity Government (NUG) in the wake of the February 2021 coup. Over five years, the PDF has grown from a loose network of civilian defenders to an estimated 45,000–65,000 fighters coordinated with EAO partners across 330+ townships. DVB's coverage of the anniversary also noted that the junta military is reportedly preparing to target the strategic India-border town of Rikhawdar in Chin State — held by CNA/CDF forces since November 2023 — as part of its western Myanmar offensive following the Falam recapture.