Reference
Glossary & Acronyms
Knowing these will help your gameplay — but they’ll help you follow real news coverage of Burma even more. A union with this many actors, alliances, and agreements runs on acronyms just to get through a sentence. This list is deliberately abridged.
Ethnic armed organizations
- AA
- Arakan Army
- ABSDF
- All Burma Students' Democratic Front
- BPLA
- Bamar People's Liberation Army — founded 2021 by poet and activist Maung Saungkha, primarily ethnic Bamar fighters opposed to the junta.
- CNA / CNF
- Chin National Army, the armed wing of the Chin National Front
- KIA / KIO
- Kachin Independence Army / Kachin Independence Organization
- KNLA
- Karen National Liberation Army
- KNU
- Karen National Union
- KNLF
- Karenni National Liberation Front
- KNPLF
- Karenni National People's Liberation Front
- KNDF
- Karenni Nationalities Defence Force
- KA
- Karenni Army
- MNDAA
- Myanmar Nationalities Democratic Alliance Army (Kokang)
- MNLA
- Mon National Liberation Army, the armed wing of the New Mon State Party (NMSP)
- People's Defence Force
- PNLO / PNLA
- Pa-O National Liberation Organization / Army
- SSA
- Shan State Army
- SSA-N
- Shan State Army – North, the armed wing of the Shan State Progress Party
- RCSS
- Restoration Council of Shan State (Shan State Army – South)
- TNLA
- Ta'ang National Liberation Army (Palaung)
- UWSA
- United Wa State Army
The Junta, across eras
These names all refer to the same institution at different points in its history — useful for reading older sources.
- Tatmadaw
- “Royal Armed Forces” — the literal meaning of the name, despite Burma not being a monarchy since 1948.
- SAC
- State Administration Council — the junta's current name for itself.
- SLORC
- State Law and Order Restoration Council — an earlier era's name.
- SPDC
- State Peace and Development Council — another earlier era's name.
- Sit-tha / Sit-ta
- Colloquial term for the Burma Army.
Institutions & agreements
- EAO(s)
- Ethnic Armed Organization(s)
- NUG
- National Unity Government — the parallel civilian government formed after the 2021 coup.
- NCA
- Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement
- ICC
- International Criminal Court
- INGO
- International Non-Governmental Organisation
- UNHCR
- United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees
- UNODC
- United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime
- FBR
- Free Burma Rangers — a faith-based humanitarian relief group operating in conflict zones.
- CPI
- China Power Investment Corporation
- BGF
- Border Guard Force — militias formally absorbed into the Tatmadaw's command structure.
Gameplay terms
- IDP(s)
- Internally Displaced Person(s) — civilians displaced by fighting inside Burma, distinct from refugees who cross a border.
- POW(s)
- Prisoner(s) of War
- Crony
- A business or militia operating with the patronage and protection of the Tatmadaw.