Pyusawhti militia
# Pyusawhti militia

Pyusawhti militias (Burmese: ပျူစောထီးအဖွဲ့) are loosely organised networks of pro-military and pro-junta villagers operating in Myanmar. In the wake of the the 2021 Myanmar coup d'état and ensuing Myanmar civil war (2021–present), Burmese security forces have leveraged Pyusawhti militias for reinforcements, military intelligence, and knowledge of local terrain. These groups emerged out of existing local networks of Buddhist nationalists, members of the military's proxy party, Union Solidarity and Development Party, and army veterans in the lead-up to the 2020 Myanmar general election. The militias became increasingly active in May 2021, when junta-appointed ward and village tract administrators and offices were attacked throughout the country.. Observers have noted ties with extremist nationalist groups like the Patriotic Association of Myanmar. Police forces have armed the otherwise poorly armed Pyusawhti militias with seized hunting guns and other older weapons.

## History

The name comes from Pyusawhti, a legendary king in Burmese history. In 1956, the Burmese government under U Nu devised a local village and town defence scheme, which used paramilitary units called 'Pyusawhti' to assist the Burmese military in counterinsurgency operations. The army attempted to disband and disarm them after the 1958 coup with mixed success. The term 'Pyusawhti' re-emerged in the 2000s, used by Burmese media in reference pro-military networks and groups. Burmese security forces had previously deployed similar networks, including swan ar shin (စွမ်းအားရှင်, lit. 'masters of force'), during the crackdown on the Saffron Revolution in 2007.

