Wa National Army
{{EngvarB|date=December 2015}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2025}}
{{infobox war faction
|name = Wa National Army
|native_name = ဝအမျိုးသားတပ်မတော်
|native_name_lang = my
|war = the Internal conflict in Myanmar
|image = 200px
|caption =
|active= {{Start date|1974|07|29|df=yes}} – present
|leaders = Mahasang
|ideology = Wa nationalism
Separatism
|partof = Wa National Organisation
|predecessor =
|successor = United Wa State Army
|headquarters =
|area = Shan State;
Myanmar–Thailand border
|allies = {{flagdeco|Taiwan|army}} Kuomintang (until 1980s)
{{flagicon image|Shan State Army flag.png}} Shan State Army (until 1977)
|opponents = State opponents
- {{flag|Myanmar}}
- {{flagicon image|Flag of the Myanmar Armed Forces.svg}} Tatmadaw
- {{flagicon|Myanmar|1974}} Union of Myanmar (until 2011)
- {{flagicon|Myanmar|1974}} Socialist Republic of the Union of Burma (until 1988)
Non-state opponents
- {{flagicon image|Communist Party of Burma flag (1946-1969).png}} Communist Party of Burma
- {{flagicon image|United Wa State Army flag.png}} United Wa State Army
|battles = Internal conflict in Myanmar
}}
The Wa National Army ({{langx|my|ဝအမျိုးသားတပ်မတော်}}; abbreviated WNA) is an insurgent group that operates in Shan State, Myanmar (Burma), near Myanmar's border with Thailand.{{cite book|last1=Tucker|first1=Shelby|title=Burma: Curse of Independence|date=2001|publisher=Pluto Press|isbn=9780745315416|page=6|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=WX-8MeW9ZasC|accessdate=10 April 2016|language=en}} It is the armed wing of the Wa National Organisation (WNO).{{cite book|last1=Lintner|first1=Bertil|title=Burma in Revolt: Opium and Insurgency since 1948|date=1999|publisher=Silkworm Books|isbn=9781630411848|page=17|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=dYMOBAAAQBAJ&pg=PT317|language=en}}
History
The WNA was founded along with the WNO on 29 July 1974, after the original group, a Ka Kwe Ye, joined forces with the Shan State Army (SSA) and Lo Hsing Han. The group was led by Mahasang, the son of the last sawbwa of Vingngun.
In 1977, the WNA broke ties with the SSA and allied themselves with the 3rd Kuomintang battalion operating near the Myanmar-China border, led by General Li Wenhuan. In 1983, the WNA's political wing, the Wa National Organisation, officially joined the National Democratic Front (NDF).
In the 1980s, the WNA operated in northern Shan State, near the Myanmar-Thailand border, but not in the mountainous areas of the region, which were under the control of the Communist Party of Burma until 1989.
In August 1997, the WNA signed a peace agreement with the military junta government.