Kachin State
Encyclopedia
Kachin State is the northernmost state
of Burma. It is bordered by China
to the north and east; Shan State
to the south; and Sagaing Division
and India
to the west. It lies between north latitude 23° 27' and 28° 25' longitude 96° 0' and 98° 44'. The area of Kachin State is 89041 km² (34,378.9 sq mi). The capital of the state is Myitkyina
. Other important towns include Bhamo
.
Kachin State has Myanmar’s highest mountain, Hkakabo Razi
(5889 metres (19,320.9 ft)), forming the southern tip of the Himalayas
, and a large inland lake, Indawgyi Lake
.
, Lisu, Zaiwa, Lawngwaw, Lachyit, and the state is officially home to other ethnic groups such as Bamar
, and Shan. Official government statistics state that the distribution by religion is 57.8% Buddhist, 36.4% Christian
. The Kachin language is the lingua franca
in the State, and has a written version based on the Roman alphabet. There is also a small number of Tibetans living in some villages of Kachin State.
, sugar cane. Mineral products include gold
and jade
. Hpakan is a well known place for its jade mines. Over 600 tons of jade stones which were unearthed from Lone-Khin area in Hpakan aka Pha-Khant Township in Kachine State had been displayed in Myanmar Naypyidaw to be sold out in November 2011. Most of the jade stones extracted in Myanmar, 25,795 tons in 2009-2010 and 32,921 tons in 2008-2009, are from Kachin State. The largest jade stone in the world, 3000 tons, 21 meters long, 4.8 meters wide, 10.5 meters high, was found in Hpakan in 2000. The Myanmar government pays little attention on deterioration of environment in Kachin because of jade mining. There have been erosion, flooding and mudslides. Several houses have been destroyed in each year.
A controversial construction project of a huge 1055 megawatt hydroelectric power plant cum dam is undergoing. It is funded by China Power Investment Cooperation. When it is finished, the electricity will be sold to China. It will be 152 meters high when it is finished. It is one of the 7 projects going to be implemented across the Irrawady River. Around 15,000 population were displaced because of that Project.
Bhamo is one of the border trading points between China and Myanmar.
There is a railroad between Myitkyina and Mandalay (through Sagaing). The train will take 24-30 hours to finish it trip from Mandalay to Myitkyina.
Kachin state has invaluable natural resources.
Most areas of Kachin state are undeveloped. Many people are still engaged in agriculture.
Under the current regime, the government exploits the country by taking various timber land. Although the government has been extracting the natural resources of the Kachin people, there is little or no development in infrastructure, health care, and other basic necessities of the people.
and Mandalay
. It is especially a problem in Kachin State where constant fighting between the government and insurgents for over 60 years has produced thousands of refugees and internally displaced people. The following is a summary of the education system in the state.
and Mandalay
is extremely poor but is especially worse in remote areas like Kachin State. The following is a summary of the public health care system in the state.
reached the Panglong Agreement
with the Shan, Kachin, and Chin peoples on 12 February 1947. The agreement accepted "Full autonomy in internal administration for the Frontier Areas" in principle and envisioned the creation of a Kachin State by the Constituent Assembly. Kachin State was formed in 1948 out of the British Burma civil districts of Bhamo
and Myitkyina
, together with the larger northern district of Puta-o
. The vast mountainous hinterlands are predominantly Kachin, whereas the more densely populated railway corridor and southern valleys are mostly Shan and Bamar
. The northern frontier was not demarcated and until the 1960s Chinese government
s had claimed the northern half of Kachin State as Chinese territory since the 18th century. Before the British rule, roughly 75% of all Kachin jadeite
ended up in China, where it was prized much more highly that the local Chinese nephrite
.
Kachin troops formerly formed a significant part of the Burmese army. With the unilateral abrogation of the Union of Burma constitution by the Ne Win
regime in 1962, Kachin forces withdrew and formed the Kachin Independence Army (KIA) under the Kachin Independence Organization (KIO). Aside from the major towns and railway corridor, Kachin State has been virtually independent from the mid 1960s through 1994, with an economy based on smuggling
, jade trade with China and narcotics. After a Myanmar army offensive in 1994 seized the jade mines from the KIO, a peace treaty was signed, permitting continued KIO effective control of most of the State, under aegis of the Myanmar military. This ceasefire immediately resulted in the creation of numerous splinter factions from the KIO and KIA of groups opposed to the SPDC's sham peace accord, and the political landscape remains highly unstable.
Traditional Kachin society was based on shifting hill agriculture. Political authority was based on chieftains who depended on support from immediate kinsmen. Considerable attention has been given by anthropologists of the Kachin custom of maternal cousin marriage, wherein it is permissible for a man to marry his mother’s brother’s daughter, but not with the father’s sister’s daughter. Traditional religion was animist, but missionary activity since the British period have converted the vast majority of the population to Christianity
(notably Baptist
and pockets of Roman Catholicism).
The total of 5,580 IDPs from 1,397 households arrived to 38 reliefs camps in Myanmar Government control area of Kachin State from June to September 2011 because of armed conflicts between Myanmar troops and KIA.
Administrative divisions of Myanmar
Burma is divided into twenty-one administrative subdivisions, which include* seven states ,* seven regions ,* five self-administered zones and* one self-administered division ....
of Burma. It is bordered by China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
to the north and east; Shan State
Shan State
Shan State is a state of Burma . Shan State borders China to the north, Laos to the east, and Thailand to the south, and five administrative divisions of Burma in the west. Largest of the 14 administrative divisions by land area, Shan State covers 155,800 km², almost a quarter of the total...
to the south; and Sagaing Division
Sagaing Division
Sagaing Region is an administrative region of Burma , located in the north-western part of the country between latitude 21° 30' north and longitude 94° 97' east...
and India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
to the west. It lies between north latitude 23° 27' and 28° 25' longitude 96° 0' and 98° 44'. The area of Kachin State is 89041 km² (34,378.9 sq mi). The capital of the state is Myitkyina
Myitkyina
Myitkyina is the capital city of Kachin State in Myanmar , located from Yangon, and from Mandalay. In Burmese it means "near the big river", and in fact "Myitkyina" lies on the west bank of the Ayeyarwady River, just below from Myit-son of its two headstreams...
. Other important towns include Bhamo
Bhamo
Bhamo is a city of Kachin State in northernmost part of Myanmar, located 186 km south from the capital city of Myitkyina. It is on the Ayeyarwady River. It lies within 65 km of the border with Yunnan Province, China. The population consists of Chinese and Shan, with Kachin peoples in...
.
Kachin State has Myanmar’s highest mountain, Hkakabo Razi
Hkakabo Razi
Hkakabo Razi is Southeast Asia's highest mountain, located in the northern Myanmar state of Kachin. It lies in an outlying subrange of the Greater Himalayan mountain system. The mountain lies on the border tri-point among Myanmar, China, and India....
(5889 metres (19,320.9 ft)), forming the southern tip of the Himalayas
Himalayas
The Himalaya Range or Himalaya Mountains Sanskrit: Devanagari: हिमालय, literally "abode of snow"), usually called the Himalayas or Himalaya for short, is a mountain range in Asia, separating the Indian subcontinent from the Tibetan Plateau...
, and a large inland lake, Indawgyi Lake
Indawgyi Lake
Indawgyi Lake is one of the largest inland lakes in Southeast Asia. It is located in Mohnyin Township in the Kachin State of Burma. The lake measures east to west, and north to south. There are over 20 villages around the lake. The predominant ethnic groups living in the surroundings of the lake...
.
Demographics
The majority of the state's 1.2 million inhabitants are ethnic Kachin, also known as Jinghpaw, RawangNung Rawang
The Rawang people are an ethnic group who inhabit far northern Kachin State of Burma and in Arunachal Pradesh in India. They speak and write in their own language, Rawang ; and have more than 70 tribes within their nation.Kachin legends variously record the Nung-Rawang were the first of six...
, Lisu, Zaiwa, Lawngwaw, Lachyit, and the state is officially home to other ethnic groups such as Bamar
Bamar
The Bamar are the dominant ethnic group of Burma , constituting approximately two-thirds of the population. The Bamar live primarily in the Irrawaddy basin, and speak the Burmese language, which is also the official language of Burma. Bamar customs and identity are closely intertwined with general...
, and Shan. Official government statistics state that the distribution by religion is 57.8% Buddhist, 36.4% Christian
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
. The Kachin language is the lingua franca
Lingua franca
A lingua franca is a language systematically used to make communication possible between people not sharing a mother tongue, in particular when it is a third language, distinct from both mother tongues.-Characteristics:"Lingua franca" is a functionally defined term, independent of the linguistic...
in the State, and has a written version based on the Roman alphabet. There is also a small number of Tibetans living in some villages of Kachin State.
Economy
The economy of Kachin State is predominantly agricultural. The main products include riceRice
Rice is the seed of the monocot plants Oryza sativa or Oryza glaberrima . As a cereal grain, it is the most important staple food for a large part of the world's human population, especially in East Asia, Southeast Asia, South Asia, the Middle East, and the West Indies...
, sugar cane. Mineral products include gold
Gold
Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au and an atomic number of 79. Gold is a dense, soft, shiny, malleable and ductile metal. Pure gold has a bright yellow color and luster traditionally considered attractive, which it maintains without oxidizing in air or water. Chemically, gold is a...
and jade
Jade
Jade is an ornamental stone.The term jade is applied to two different metamorphic rocks that are made up of different silicate minerals:...
. Hpakan is a well known place for its jade mines. Over 600 tons of jade stones which were unearthed from Lone-Khin area in Hpakan aka Pha-Khant Township in Kachine State had been displayed in Myanmar Naypyidaw to be sold out in November 2011. Most of the jade stones extracted in Myanmar, 25,795 tons in 2009-2010 and 32,921 tons in 2008-2009, are from Kachin State. The largest jade stone in the world, 3000 tons, 21 meters long, 4.8 meters wide, 10.5 meters high, was found in Hpakan in 2000. The Myanmar government pays little attention on deterioration of environment in Kachin because of jade mining. There have been erosion, flooding and mudslides. Several houses have been destroyed in each year.
A controversial construction project of a huge 1055 megawatt hydroelectric power plant cum dam is undergoing. It is funded by China Power Investment Cooperation. When it is finished, the electricity will be sold to China. It will be 152 meters high when it is finished. It is one of the 7 projects going to be implemented across the Irrawady River. Around 15,000 population were displaced because of that Project.
Bhamo is one of the border trading points between China and Myanmar.
Transport
Kachin State is served by the following airports:- Bhamo AirportBhamo AirportBhamo Airport is an airport serving Bhamo , a city in the Kachin State in northern Burma. It is also known as Banmaw Airport.-History:...
- Myitkyina AirportMyitkyina Airport-Airlines and destinations:-History:Built before World War II as Myitkyina Airfield, the airfield was captured by the Imperial Japanese Army on 8 May 1942 during the Japanese conquest of Burma...
- Putao Airport
There is a railroad between Myitkyina and Mandalay (through Sagaing). The train will take 24-30 hours to finish it trip from Mandalay to Myitkyina.
Kachin state has invaluable natural resources.
Most areas of Kachin state are undeveloped. Many people are still engaged in agriculture.
Under the current regime, the government exploits the country by taking various timber land. Although the government has been extracting the natural resources of the Kachin people, there is little or no development in infrastructure, health care, and other basic necessities of the people.
Education
Educational opportunities in Myanmar are extremely limited outside the main cities of YangonYangon
Yangon is a former capital of Burma and the capital of Yangon Region . Although the military government has officially relocated the capital to Naypyidaw since March 2006, Yangon, with a population of over four million, continues to be the country's largest city and the most important commercial...
and Mandalay
Mandalay
Mandalay is the second-largest city and the last royal capital of Burma. Located north of Yangon on the east bank of the Irrawaddy River, the city has a population of one million, and is the capital of Mandalay Region ....
. It is especially a problem in Kachin State where constant fighting between the government and insurgents for over 60 years has produced thousands of refugees and internally displaced people. The following is a summary of the education system in the state.
| AY 2002-2003 | Primary | Middle | High |
|---|---|---|---|
| Schools | 1183 | 86 | 41 |
| Teachers | 3700 | 1500 | 600 |
| Students | 168,000 | 80,000 | 24,100 |
Health care
The general state of health care in Myanmar is poor. The military government spends anywhere from 0.5% to 3% of the country's GDP on health care, consistently ranking among the lowest in the world. Although health care is nominally free, in reality, patients have to pay for medicine and treatment, even in public clinics and hospitals. Public hospitals lack many of the basic facilities and equipment. In general, the health care infrastructure outside of YangonYangon
Yangon is a former capital of Burma and the capital of Yangon Region . Although the military government has officially relocated the capital to Naypyidaw since March 2006, Yangon, with a population of over four million, continues to be the country's largest city and the most important commercial...
and Mandalay
Mandalay
Mandalay is the second-largest city and the last royal capital of Burma. Located north of Yangon on the east bank of the Irrawaddy River, the city has a population of one million, and is the capital of Mandalay Region ....
is extremely poor but is especially worse in remote areas like Kachin State. The following is a summary of the public health care system in the state.
| 2002–2003 | # Hospitals | # Beds |
|---|---|---|
| Specialist hospitals | 2 | 125 |
| General hospitals with specialist services | 2 | 500 |
| General hospitals | 17 | 553 |
| Health clinics | 22 | 352 |
| Total | 43 | 1530 |
History
The Burmese government under Aung SanAung San
Bogyoke Aung San ; 13 February 1915 – 19 July 1947) was a Burmese revolutionary, nationalist, and founder of the modern Burmese army, the Tatmadaw....
reached the Panglong Agreement
Panglong Agreement
The Panglong Agreement was reached between the Burmese government under Aung San and the Shan, Kachin, and Chin peoples on 12 February 1947. The agreement accepted "Full autonomy in internal administration for the Frontier Areas" in principle and envisioned the creation of a Kachin State by the...
with the Shan, Kachin, and Chin peoples on 12 February 1947. The agreement accepted "Full autonomy in internal administration for the Frontier Areas" in principle and envisioned the creation of a Kachin State by the Constituent Assembly. Kachin State was formed in 1948 out of the British Burma civil districts of Bhamo
Bhamo District
Bhamo District is a district of the Kachin State in northern Burma . The capital is the city of Bhamo. The district covers an area of 10,742.9 sq.km...
and Myitkyina
Myitkyina District
Myitkyina District is a district of the Kachin State in northern Burma . The capital lies at Myitkyina.-Townships:The district contains the following townships:*Myitkyina Township*Waingmaw Township*Injangyang Township*Tanai Township...
, together with the larger northern district of Puta-o
Putao District
Putao District is a district of the Kachin State in northern Burma. The capital lies at Putao.-Townships:The district contains the following townships:*Putao Township*Sumprabum Township*Machanbaw Township*Kawnglanghpu Township *Nogmung Township...
. The vast mountainous hinterlands are predominantly Kachin, whereas the more densely populated railway corridor and southern valleys are mostly Shan and Bamar
Bamar
The Bamar are the dominant ethnic group of Burma , constituting approximately two-thirds of the population. The Bamar live primarily in the Irrawaddy basin, and speak the Burmese language, which is also the official language of Burma. Bamar customs and identity are closely intertwined with general...
. The northern frontier was not demarcated and until the 1960s Chinese government
Government of the People's Republic of China
All power within the government of the People's Republic of China is divided among three bodies: the People's Republic of China, State Council, and the People's Liberation Army . This article is concerned with the formal structure of the state, its departments and their responsibilities...
s had claimed the northern half of Kachin State as Chinese territory since the 18th century. Before the British rule, roughly 75% of all Kachin jadeite
Jadeite
Jadeite is a pyroxene mineral with composition NaAlSi2O6. It is monoclinic. It has a Mohs hardness of about 6.5 to 7.0 depending on the composition. The mineral is dense, with a specific gravity of about 3.4. Jadeite forms solid solutions with other pyroxene endmembers such as augite and diopside ,...
ended up in China, where it was prized much more highly that the local Chinese nephrite
Nephrite
Nephrite is a variety of the calcium and magnesium-rich amphibole mineral actinolite . The chemical formula for nephrite is Ca25Si8O222. It is one of two different mineral species called jade. The other mineral species known as jade is jadeite, which is a variety of pyroxene...
.
Kachin troops formerly formed a significant part of the Burmese army. With the unilateral abrogation of the Union of Burma constitution by the Ne Win
Ne Win
Ne Win was Burmese a politician and military commander. He was Prime Minister of Burma from 1958 to 1960 and 1962 to 1974 and also head of state from 1962 to 1981...
regime in 1962, Kachin forces withdrew and formed the Kachin Independence Army (KIA) under the Kachin Independence Organization (KIO). Aside from the major towns and railway corridor, Kachin State has been virtually independent from the mid 1960s through 1994, with an economy based on smuggling
Smuggling
Smuggling is the clandestine transportation of goods or persons, such as out of a building, into a prison, or across an international border, in violation of applicable laws or other regulations.There are various motivations to smuggle...
, jade trade with China and narcotics. After a Myanmar army offensive in 1994 seized the jade mines from the KIO, a peace treaty was signed, permitting continued KIO effective control of most of the State, under aegis of the Myanmar military. This ceasefire immediately resulted in the creation of numerous splinter factions from the KIO and KIA of groups opposed to the SPDC's sham peace accord, and the political landscape remains highly unstable.
Traditional Kachin society was based on shifting hill agriculture. Political authority was based on chieftains who depended on support from immediate kinsmen. Considerable attention has been given by anthropologists of the Kachin custom of maternal cousin marriage, wherein it is permissible for a man to marry his mother’s brother’s daughter, but not with the father’s sister’s daughter. Traditional religion was animist, but missionary activity since the British period have converted the vast majority of the population to Christianity
Christianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
(notably Baptist
Baptist
Baptists comprise a group of Christian denominations and churches that subscribe to a doctrine that baptism should be performed only for professing believers , and that it must be done by immersion...
and pockets of Roman Catholicism).
The total of 5,580 IDPs from 1,397 households arrived to 38 reliefs camps in Myanmar Government control area of Kachin State from June to September 2011 because of armed conflicts between Myanmar troops and KIA.