General information
Type of Incompatibility: Territory
Comment on Type of Incompatibility: The incompatibility was over the territory of Karenni. The administrative name for the region is Kayah. The territory is situated along the Thai-Burmese border and cover some 11 700 km².
The Karenni originally fought for the creation of an independent state, but announced in 2005 that they were willing to accept the establishement of an autonomous region in a democratic federal Burmese state.
Territory: Karenni
Date of first stated goal of incompatibility: 1957-07-29
Comment on date of first stated goals of incompatibility: In 1875, a treaty of the Burma king declared the Karenni State independent. The region was immediately incorporated into the Indian Empire rather than the British Burma. According to Karenni nationalists, the fighting have since then been defence of their homeland against invading forces.
KNPP was founded on 29 July 1957 by Taw Plo who was assassinated in September. The earlier movements of the Karenni uprising were closely associated with the Karen rebels. The KNPP fought more independently for a Karenni state.
Date of first use of armed force: 1957-01-01
Date of first battle related death: 1957-01-01
Date of conflict reached 25 battle releated deaths: 1957-12-31
Annual information
This section contains annual information systematically collected by the UCDP.
1987
Primary Parties: Government of Myanmar (Burma) - KNPP
Dimension: Internal
| Estimated Fatalities | |
|---|---|
| High | 25 |
| Best | 25 |
| Low | 0 |
Numbers include fatalities for all dyads both active and inactive for this year
1989
Primary Parties: -
Dimension: Internal
| Estimated Fatalities | |
|---|---|
| High | 18 |
| Best | 18 |
| Low | 18 |
Numbers include fatalities for all dyads both active and inactive for this year
1992
Primary Parties: Government of Myanmar (Burma) - KNPP
Dimension: Internal
| Estimated Fatalities | |
|---|---|
| High | 404 |
| Best | 404 |
| Low | 402 |
Numbers include fatalities for all dyads both active and inactive for this year
1993
Primary Parties: -
Dimension: Internal
| Estimated Fatalities | |
|---|---|
| High | 0 |
| Best | 0 |
| Low | 0 |
Numbers include fatalities for all dyads both active and inactive for this year
1994
Primary Parties: -
Dimension: Internal
| Estimated Fatalities | |
|---|---|
| High | 0 |
| Best | 0 |
| Low | 0 |
Numbers include fatalities for all dyads both active and inactive for this year
1995
Primary Parties: -
Dimension: Internal
| Estimated Fatalities | |
|---|---|
| High | 201 |
| Best | 3 |
| Low | 3 |
Numbers include fatalities for all dyads both active and inactive for this year
1996
Primary Parties: Government of Myanmar (Burma) - KNPP
Dimension: Internal
| Estimated Fatalities | |
|---|---|
| High | 140 |
| Best | 124 |
| Low | 124 |
Numbers include fatalities for all dyads both active and inactive for this year
1997
Primary Parties: -
Dimension: Internal
| Estimated Fatalities | |
|---|---|
| High | 7 |
| Best | 7 |
| Low | 7 |
Numbers include fatalities for all dyads both active and inactive for this year
1998
Primary Parties: -
Dimension: Internal
| Estimated Fatalities | |
|---|---|
| High | 1 |
| Best | 1 |
| Low | 1 |
Numbers include fatalities for all dyads both active and inactive for this year
1999
Primary Parties: -
Dimension: Internal
| Estimated Fatalities | |
|---|---|
| High | 12 |
| Best | 12 |
| Low | 12 |
Numbers include fatalities for all dyads both active and inactive for this year
2001
Primary Parties: -
Dimension: Internal
| Estimated Fatalities | |
|---|---|
| High | 21 |
| Best | 21 |
| Low | 21 |
Numbers include fatalities for all dyads both active and inactive for this year
2002
Primary Parties: -
Dimension: Internal
| Estimated Fatalities | |
|---|---|
| High | 20 |
| Best | 20 |
| Low | 20 |
Numbers include fatalities for all dyads both active and inactive for this year
2003
Primary Parties: -
Dimension: Internal
| Estimated Fatalities | |
|---|---|
| High | 5 |
| Best | 5 |
| Low | 5 |
Numbers include fatalities for all dyads both active and inactive for this year
2004
Primary Parties: -
Dimension: Internal
| Estimated Fatalities | |
|---|---|
| High | 24 |
| Best | 22 |
| Low | 22 |
Numbers include fatalities for all dyads both active and inactive for this year
2005
Primary Parties: Government of Myanmar (Burma) - KNPP
Dimension: Internal
| Estimated Fatalities | |
|---|---|
| High | 35 |
| Best | 35 |
| Low | 35 |
Numbers include fatalities for all dyads both active and inactive for this year
2006
Primary Parties: -
Dimension: Internal
| Estimated Fatalities | |
|---|---|
| High | 6 |
| Best | 6 |
| Low | 6 |
Numbers include fatalities for all dyads both active and inactive for this year
2007
Primary Parties: -
Dimension: Internal
| Estimated Fatalities | |
|---|---|
| High | 22 |
| Best | 15 |
| Low | 15 |
Numbers include fatalities for all dyads both active and inactive for this year
2010
Primary Parties: -
Dimension: Internal
| Estimated Fatalities | |
|---|---|
| High | 9 |
| Best | 9 |
| Low | 9 |
Numbers include fatalities for all dyads both active and inactive for this year
2012
Primary Parties: -
Dimension: Internal
| Estimated Fatalities | |
|---|---|
| High | 15 |
| Best | 15 |
| Low | 15 |
Numbers include fatalities for all dyads both active and inactive for this year
2013
Primary Parties: -
Dimension: Internal
| Estimated Fatalities | |
|---|---|
| High | 0 |
| Best | 0 |
| Low | 0 |
Numbers include fatalities for all dyads both active and inactive for this year
2017
Primary Parties: -
Dimension: Internal
| Estimated Fatalities | |
|---|---|
| High | 4 |
| Best | 0 |
| Low | 0 |
Numbers include fatalities for all dyads both active and inactive for this year
2019
Primary Parties: -
Dimension: Internal
| Estimated Fatalities | |
|---|---|
| High | 0 |
| Best | 0 |
| Low | 0 |
Numbers include fatalities for all dyads both active and inactive for this year
2021
Primary Parties: Government of Myanmar (Burma) - KNPP
Dimension: Internal
| Estimated Fatalities | |
|---|---|
| High | 317 |
| Best | 62 |
| Low | 40 |
Numbers include fatalities for all dyads both active and inactive for this year
2022
Primary Parties: Government of Myanmar (Burma) - KNPP
Dimension: Internal
| Estimated Fatalities | |
|---|---|
| High | 719 |
| Best | 74 |
| Low | 61 |
Numbers include fatalities for all dyads both active and inactive for this year
2023
Primary Parties: Government of Myanmar (Burma) - KNPP
Dimension: Internal
| Estimated Fatalities | |
|---|---|
| High | 413 |
| Best | 150 |
| Low | 149 |
Numbers include fatalities for all dyads both active and inactive for this year
2024
Primary Parties: Government of Myanmar (Burma) - KNPP
Dimension: Internal
Comment on Dimension: The conflict between the government of Myanmar and KNPP remained internal throughout 2024.
| Estimated Fatalities | |
|---|---|
| High | 82 |
| Best | 28 |
| Low | 28 |
Numbers include fatalities for all dyads both active and inactive for this year
2025
Primary Parties: Government of Myanmar (Burma) - KNPP
Dimension: Internal
Comment on Dimension: The conflict between the Government of Myanmar and the KNPP remained internal throughout 2025.
| Estimated Fatalities | |
|---|---|
| High | 93 |
| Best | 73 |
| Low | 73 |
Numbers include fatalities for all dyads both active and inactive for this year
Conflict Archive
This section contains annual information no longer systematically collected by the UCDP.
1987 Conflict Archive
Negotiations: NO
Third party involvement: NO
Victory: NO
Terminated: YES
Type of termination: No or Low Activity
Date of termination: 1987-12-31
1989 Conflict Archive
Terminated: NO
1992 Conflict Archive
Comment on Activity: Scores of thousands of Karenni villagers are resettled and replaced by landless ethnic Burmans.
Comment on Yearly Battle Related Deaths: In September, a regrouped KNPP launched a surprise attack on their former headquarters and killed as many as 50 Myanmarese soldiers. Soon the area was retaken by the army, and in November a big offensive was lauched throughout Kayah state.
Negotiations: NO
Comment on Negotiation: On 5 May, the Myanmarese government appealed, in an editorial of the state-run Working Peoples Daily, for all ethnic insurgent groups to lay down their arms and join the regime in a national reunification process. The government claimed it wanted to sign ceasefire agreements and end the conflicts in the country.
Third party involvement: NO
Victory: NO
Terminated: YES
Type of termination: No or Low Activity
Date of termination: 1992-12-31
1993 Conflict Archive
Terminated: NO
1994 Conflict Archive
Terminated: NO
1995 Conflict Archive
Negotiations: YES
Comment on Negotiation: On 21 March, the government and the KNPP signed a ceasefire agreement. Three months later, intense disputes broke out between the government and the Karenni leaders over logging rights for the teak forest in Kayah State. In November, a last effort meeting to save the agreement was held in Yangoon.
Third party involvement: NO
Victory: NO
Terminated: NO
1996 Conflict Archive
Comment on Activity: After the ethnic Shan MTA (Mong Tai Army) signed a ceasefire with the government in January, fighting between government forces and remnants of MTA spilled over into Kayah state. It was then reported that an unnamed Karenni group was fighting together with these Shan fighters, who had taken the name SURA (Shan Untied Revolutionary Army). No reports give any casualty figures.
Negotiations: NO
Third party involvement: NO
Victory: NO
Terminated: YES
Type of termination: No or Low Activity
Date of termination: 1996-12-31
Comment on Termination: The group renounced a ceasefire with the government in 1996, but continued its fighting as supporting soldiers to the KNU in the Myanmar (Karen) conflict.
1997 Conflict Archive
Negotiations: NO
Third party involvement: NO
Victory: NO
Terminated: NO
1998 Conflict Archive
Comment on Activity: International organisations have reported large-scale military activities against civilians from the Myanmarese government.
Negotiations: NO
Third party involvement: NO
Victory: NO
Terminated: NO
1999 Conflict Archive
Terminated: NO
2001 Conflict Archive
Negotiations: NO
Third party involvement: NO
Victory: NO
Terminated: NO
2002 Conflict Archive
Negotiations: NO
Third party involvement: NO
Victory: NO
Terminated: NO
2003 Conflict Archive
Negotiations: NO
Third party involvement: NO
Victory: NO
Terminated: NO
2004 Conflict Archive
Comment on Activity: While the government negotiatied a ceasefire in the Karen conflict, the KNPP-controlled territories became more available for government forces. Smaller skirmishes and clashes were reported throughout the year.
Negotiations: NO
Comment on Negotiation: The KNPP repeatedly stated a willingness to initiate negotiations, following the Karen example. The government claimed that the 1995 agreement was still valid, why no new negotiations were necessary.
Third party involvement: NO
Victory: NO
Terminated: NO
2005 Conflict Archive
Comment on Activity: The government forces continued to launch offensives against KNPP positions in January and February 2005 which led to intense fighting. There were few but occasional incidents during most of the year before new government offensives were initiated in late 2005.
Following fighting in mid-February 2005, the KNPP accused the Myanmar government of using chemical weapons in the clashes. Some soldiers exposed to the alleged chemicals were later examined by medicals from the international NGO Christian Solidarity Worldwide who published a report on the issue in April. The Myanmar government denied the accusations, and the validity of the claims was also questioned by Thai border security forces.
Negotiations: NO
Comment on Negotiation: The government offered food and material assistance to the KNPP if they returned to the ceasefire agreement originally signed in 1995 and handed in their weapons. The offer was refused and a September offensive by the government led to a KNPP declaration that the government was trying to annihilate the ethnic minorities.
Another attempt of openings talks were announced in mid-December, when the KNPP general secretary Raymond Htoo claimed the group had been contacted by the Karenni cease-fire group KNPLF who were willing to mediate in new talks between the government and KNPP. The KNPP did not accept the offer but declared that it would be willing to talk to the government if a cease-fire could lead to a truly beneficial peace for the whole Karenni people.
Third party involvement: NO
Victory: NO
Terminated: YES
Type of termination: No or Low Activity
Date of termination: 2005-12-31
Comment on Termination: In 2006, the UCDP could not identify 25 battle-related deaths in the conflict between the government and the KNPP. Some incidents were reported, but the KNPP mainly integrated its forces with the larger Karen rebels KNU.
Comment on Termination Date: Some clashes were reported in 2006, but led to less than 25 battle-related deaths.
2006 Conflict Archive
Terminated: NO
2007 Conflict Archive
Terminated: NO
2010 Conflict Archive
Terminated: NO
2012 Conflict Archive
Comment on Activity: 15 deaths reported in 2012. Ceasefire agreement signed on 2012-03-07, seemed to hold.
Comment on Yearly Battle Related Deaths: fighting took place prior to the ceasefire agreement of 2012-03-07. After the agreement there was at least one incident in which fight took place but the agreement seemed to hold.
Negotiations: YES
Comment on Negotiation: Ceasefire agreement signed on 2012-03-07 between KNPP and the govt.
Third party involvement: NO
Victory: NO
Terminated: NO
2013 Conflict Archive
Terminated: NO
2017 Conflict Archive
Terminated: NO
2019 Conflict Archive
Terminated: NO
2021 Conflict Archive
Terminated: NO
2022 Conflict Archive
Comment on Activity: In 2022, the territories controlled by KNPP witnessed an uptick in violence compared to the previous year as the armed wing of KNPP, the Karenni Army, continued its joint operations with the local PDFs against the military regime throughout the year. The Karenni conflict was concentrated in Loikaw and Demoso townships in Loikaw district and neighbouring Pekon township in Shan state.
Terminated: NO
2023 Conflict Archive
Comment on Activity: The conflict between the government of Myanmar and KNPP (Karenni National Progressive Party) escalated further in 2023, marking the year as the most violent since 1992, with heavy fighting continuing throughout KNPP territories in Kayah state. On 11 November, the KNPP launched Operation 1111 together with allied Karenni resistance forces in support of Operation 1027. The latter operation was launched by the Brotherhood Alliance, which comprises Arakan Army, PSLF and MNDAA on 27 October with the aim of maintaining their respective territories, safeguarding civilians, and fighting against the military regime. Operation 1111 mainly occurred in and around Loikaw town and resulted in numerous deaths among resistance forces and civilians.
Negotiations: NO
Third party involvement: NO
Victory: NO
Terminated: NO
2024 Conflict Archive
Comment on Activity: The intensity of the conflict between the government of Myanmar and KNPP drastically declined in 2024 compared to the previous year. Fighting remained concentrated in Kayah state and adjoining areas of southern Shan state, particularly around Demoso, Loikaw, and Pekon townships. Throughout the year, KNPP operated in coordination with local Karenni defense groups. Resistance forces maintained control over much of rural Kayah state, while the military remained largely confined to the Loikaw area and key strategic roadways. Despite the overall decrease in violence, resistance groups continued to carry out regular attacks on military bases and convoys, to which the junta responded with airstrikes and artillery shelling.
Negotiations: NO
Comment on Negotiation: No formal negotations took place between the KNPP and the military regime during 2024. Despite a decline in intensity compared to 2023, armed confrontations continued, and the KNPP remained opposed to any ceasefire talks in the absence of broader political change.
Third party involvement: NO
Victory: NO
Terminated: NO
2025 Conflict Archive
Comment on Activity: The conflict between the Government of Myanmar and the Karenni National Progressive Party (KNPP) escalated in intensity in 2025 compared to the previous year. While large-scale ground operations remained limited, violence increased due to intensified airstrikes and shelling by Myanmar military in KNPP-influenced areas of Kayah state, particularly around Loikaw and Bawlakhe districts. These attacks contributed to renewed displacement and civilian casualties, despite the absence of sustained frontline offensives. One of the most devastating airstrikes occurred in Mawchi town in Bawlakhe district on 17 August, killing more than 30 civilians. At the same time, KNPP-affiliated forces continued to carry out occasional ambushes and attacks on military positions and supply routes, although overall hostilities were primarily characterized by long-range strikes rather than conventional ground battles.
Negotiations: NO
Comment on Negotiation: No formal negotations took place between the Government of Myanmar and the KNPP in 2025.
Third party involvement: NO
Victory: NO
Terminated: NO
