^{This page is part of © FOTW Flags Of The World website}

Myanmar - Burmese peoples

The flags shown here are probably those of organizations engaged in a struggle against the Myanmar government, as the designs do not coincide with the "official" flags of the states as illustrated in Burmese postage stamps of 1974.
The following tribes and peoples have reported flags:

Arakan
Kachin
Karenni
Pa-O
Lahu
Wa
Palaung
Mon
Karen
Chin
Naga
Mizo

See also:

Arakan

Mark Sensen, 1-JUN--1996, [cra90]

This flag (based on W.Crampton, if I remember right) corresponds to the National United Front of Arakan (NUFA), the principal military organization of the State of Arakan, with more than two hundred regular soldiers, the majority Arakanese with some Chin and Rohingas. The Arakanese people number some four million and live in the western hill country of Myanmar. The flag of the organization is horizontal white on red, and in the white part, near the shaft, a red star.

Kachin Independence Organization

Jaume Oll�, 1996-08-13

The Kachin Independence Organization (KIO) counts more than five thousand regular soldiers. The Kachin people numbers some two million persons, who live in northernmost Myanmar.

Karenni

Jaume Oll�, 1996-08-14

The Karenni Nation Progressive Party (KNPP) has 200 regular fighters (Kayaw, Kaya, Manamanaw, Shao, Pa-O and others). The Karenni number approximately 300,000.

Pa-O

Jaume Oll�, 1996-08-14

The Pa-O National Organization (PNO) has 300 regular fighters (90% Pa-O, 10% Shan, Kayah, Palaung and others). The Pa-O number approximately 1,600,000.

Lahu

Jaume Oll�, 1996-08-14

The Lahu National Organization (LNO) has an army of 150 regular soldiers (100% Lahu, but from different Lahu groups). The Lahu people number 200,000.

Wa

Jaume Oll�, 1996-08-14

The Wa National Organization (WNO) has an army of 400 regular soldiers, but is allied to a group of the Burmese Communist Party (with 4,000 regular soldiers). The composition of the army is 90% Wa; 10% Chinese and Shan. The Wa people number approximately 300,000.

Palaung

Jaume Oll�, 1996-08-14

The Palaung State Liberation Party (PSLP) has an army of more than 500 regular fighters (80% Palaung, 20% Kachin and Shan). The Palaung number approximately 1 million.

Mon

Jaume Oll�, 1996-08-15

Nickname: Flag of the Golden Drake Flying. The New Mon State Party (NMSP) has 3,000 regular fighters (mostly Mon). The Mon people number approximately one million.

Karen

Jaume Oll�, 1996-08-15

The Karen National Union (KNU) has 6000 fighters and the Karen National Defense Organization (KNDO) has 2000 fighters, 90% Karen (2% Shan, 2% Mon, 6% others). The Karen people number 2,000,000.

Chin

According the Flag Bulletin the Chin Republic (and probably the Liberation Movement) flies this flag.

Jaume Oll�, 1996-09-15

Naga

The Flag of Nagaland is in Smith's book, background light blue with a "rainbow" of red, yellow and dark blue; the sixpointed star have six lines like a rays. By my research (exchanges with Zing Zing Awungshi Shisha and the Catalan Commitee of Solidarity with the South East Asian Peoples, and a friend that was in the region two years ago) the rays are not on the flags flown there, and the rainbow is red, yellow and green.

Jaume Oll�, 1996-09-15

Mizo

W. Smith says in the Flag Bulletin that the flag of Mizoran (or Mizo people) is like that of Iceland!

Jaume Oll�, 1996-09-15