CNI News
February 27, 2026
U Chin Maung, Chairman of the Peace-making Committee for the National Socialist Council of Nagaland-Khaplang/Anmai (NSCN–K/AM), told CNI News that they absolutely reject the "Naga Unit" proposed by the Kachin Independence Army (KIA), asserting that the KIA is pursuing a political path based on ethnocentrism (Great-Race Chauvinism).
KIA leader Lieutenant General Gun Maw recently stated that they have designated specific zones: the Chin Unit, Kachin Unit, Naga Unit, and the "Ka-Thone-Lone" area (Kanbalu-Kawlin-Katha). He claimed that by controlling these regions, they would seize and manage the entirety of upper and lower Myanmar.
Lt. Gen. Gun Maw made these remarks during the 65th Kachin Revolution Day ceremony held on February 5, 2026, in Texas, USA.
U Chin Maung of the NSCN–K/AM clarified that their own political trajectory is not based on "units," and they firmly reject the KIA’s designation.
"I don’t know in what context the KIA is using the term 'Unit.' Our path is not about units; we are on the path toward Naga Independence. We have absolutely no involvement with them on this matter. Regardless, Nagas and Kachins have traditionally lived like brothers. However, we don't know what they mean by 'Naga Unit' or who they are referring to. We reject their 'Unit' roadmap. In my view, as we strive for independence, they are using a chauvinistic approach. They label areas adjacent to their territory as 'Units'—for instance, calling Shan areas the 'Shan Unit.' They are building a political path based on chauvinism, and I absolutely cannot accept that," U Chin Maung said.
KIA Lt. Gen. Gun Maw and a map of Sagaing Region.
Lt. Gen. Gun Maw had argued that for the security of Kachin State, they must intercept the enemy (the Myanmar Military) starting from Sagaing Region. He stated that to control Sagaing, they must implement the "Ka-Thone-Lone" operation alongside the Chin and Naga Units. He believes that controlling Sagaing Region provides the key to controlling both Northern and Southern Myanmar.
However, the KIA has not publicly clarified which specific areas are designated as the "Naga Unit" or which Naga organizations were consulted in making this determination.
Currently, the KIA provides military training and arms to the Eastern Naga National Organization (ENNO/ENDA) and the Naga PDF (NPDF), who are fighting the Myanmar Military and the Shanni Nationalities Army (SNA) in Sagaing Region and Kachin State.
U Chin Maung further noted that the KIA appears to be seizing an opportunity within the current Myanmar crisis to establish its own administration. He added that the NSCN-K/AM intends to issue a formal statement rejecting the "Naga Unit" concept.
NSCN-K/YA and the proposed Naga Unit area.
"As we understand it, 'units' were used in the past by the Bamars, who formed ethnic units under their command—like the Kayah Unit or Chin Unit. Early after independence, there were units stationed in Naga territory under Bamar policy. Now, the Kachins are doing something similar, perhaps not under the KIA name but under the 'Wunpawng' banner. I see them treating Naga armed groups as if they are part of their own force structure. That is what is actually happening. In the current landscape of Myanmar, it looks like they are taking an opportunity to govern the Nagas. We have no personal issues with the Kachin people, but the NSCN absolutely rejects this terminology. We don't know which group they are coordinating with to say this, but we do not accept the 'Unit' designation issued by the KIA," he said.
While the exact boundaries of the KIA’s "Naga Unit" remain unclear, observers are questioning whether it refers to the Naga Self-Administered Zone in Sagaing Region, or a broader collection of territories including Hkamti, Homalin, and Tamu.
Regional sources suggest that Naga armed groups based in Myanmar are considering a "Naga Unit" territory that spans from Tanai-Shinbwiyang in Kachin State down through the Naga Self-Administered Zone, Hkamti, Homalin, Shwe Pyi Aye, Phaungpyin, and Tamu in Sagaing Region.
