Bo Nagar, leader of the Burma National Revolutionary Army (BNRA), reportedly surrenders to the Myanmar junta.
On the evening of 18 February, the military-run Myawaddy TV announced that Bo Nagar (also known as Naing Lin), the prominent leader of the Burma National Revolutionary Army (BNRA), has surrendered to the Myanmar junta.
According to the state-media broadcast, Bo Nagar and his family members arrived at a military base in Pale Township, Sagaing Region, at approximately 4:50 pm, turning over several weapons and ammunition.
This unexpected development follows a period of intense internal conflict within the resistance movement, culminating in a major attack by National Unity Government (NUG) forces against BNRA camps on 17 February.
The surrender marks a dramatic turn for a figure who was once a key symbol of the armed resistance in Sagaing.
Tensions between the NUG and the BNRA had escalated over several months, with the NUG accusing the BNRA of extrajudicial killings, torture, and the oppression of civilians.
While state media has framed the event as a voluntary return to the “legal fold,” many within the revolutionary movement are viewing the surrender with a mix of shock and scepticism.
Local residents and activists have pointed out that the infighting between the two groups provided an opening for the junta, which reportedly carried out gyrocopter airstrikes in the area during the clashes.
The loss of Bo Nagar’s leadership and the fragmentation of the BNRA pose significant questions for the future of the resistance in central Myanmar, as the junta continues to exploit divisions among its opponents.
