Kachin State

Kachin State (Burmese: ကချင်ပြည်နယ်; Kachin: Jinghpaw Mungdaw) is the northernmost state of Myanmar. It shares borders with China to the north and east (Tibet and Yunnan), Shan State to the south, and Sagaing Region and India (Arunachal Pradesh) to the west. The state covers an area of 89,041 km² (34,379 sq mi), with its capital located in Myitkyina. Other important towns in the region include Bhamo, Mohnyin, and Putao.

Kachin State is home to Myanmar's highest mountain, Hkakabo Razi, which stands at 5,889 metres (19,321 ft). This mountain is part of the southern tip of the Himalayas. The state also features a large inland lake called Indawgyi Lake. In addition, Kachin State has the most national parks of any area in Myanmar, with three national parks in total.

History

Kingdom of Nanzhao

Main article: Nanzhao

The Nanzhao Kingdom ruled much of Upper Burma, including what is now Kachin State. They also used this area as a base to attack the Pyu city-states in modern-day Sagaing. Some historians think the Chinese called the Jingpo people Pu Man, but there isn't much proof for this idea.

Kingdom of Dali

Main article: Dali Kingdom

After Nanzhao fell, the Dali Kingdom took control of the lands where the Kachin people lived.

Kingdom of Möng Mao

Main article: Möng Mao

In the 14th century, Möng Mao used parts of modern-day Kachin State to attack areas in Yunnan.

Under Qing dynasty of China

The Qing dynasty of China briefly ruled the area now known as Kachin State during the 1760 Sino-Burmese War.

Kachin State has been home to many different groups, such as the Rawang, Lisu, Jingpo, Zaiwa, Lashi/Lachik, and Lawngwaw/Maru. These groups had their own lands and ways of living. The name "Kachin" was given by the British during their time in the area.

Traditionally, Kachin people farmed in the hills and moved to new places when the soil got tired. Long ago, they followed animist beliefs. After the Qing-Konbaung war in the 1760s, China had some control over the northeast part of Kachin State. When the British took over Burma, they let the Kachin Hills keep their own way of governing. British soldiers went into Kachin lands in 1892 and 1896. In 1910, they took over Hpimaw (Pianma) in what is called the Pianma Incident.

Post-independence Burma

The leaders who helped Burma become independent, led by Aung San, made an agreement with the Shan, Kachin, and Chin peoples on February 12, 1947. This agreement promised more self-rule for areas far from the capital. Burma became independent on January 4, 1948. At that time, Kachin State was created from parts of old British areas, including Bhamo and Myitkyina, along with a big northern area called Puta-o. Kachin State was officially announced on January 10, 1948. The people celebrated this by holding special events called "Mungdaw Masat Masat Manau" for three days, starting on January 9. They kept doing this every year on January 10 until a big change in government happened in 1962.

The wild and mountainous parts of Kachin State are mostly where Kachin people live, while the areas closer to railways and south have more Shan and Bamar people. The borders in the north weren't fully set until the 1960s. For a long time, different Chinese governments have said that part of northern Kachin State belongs to China. Before the British came, about 75% of the Kachin jadeite was sent to China, where it was more valued than the Chinese nephrite.

Kachin conflict

Main article: Kachin conflict

In 1960, the Kachin people formed an armed group after the government said Buddhism would be the official religion, which they didn't agree with. From 1962 to 2010, the military government controlled Myanmar. In 1989, agreements were made between groups that wanted more freedom and the government. However, in 2011, the new government broke these agreements and started fighting again with the Kachin people living near the border with China.

Because of this fighting, many people had to leave their homes and go to safety camps. Some of these camps were controlled by the government, and some were controlled by the Kachin Independence Army.

Before 1962, many Kachin people were part of the Burmese army. But when the government changed the rules in 1962, these soldiers left and formed their own group, called the Kachin Independence Army (KIA), under the Kachin Independence Organization (KIO). For many years, Kachin State was mostly separate, with its own economy based on farming and trading with China, especially jade. In 1994, the government took over the jade mines, but they made a peace agreement that let the KIO keep control of most of the state. This caused many smaller groups to form, and the situation stayed unstable.

The KIO made a peace agreement with the government in 1994 but said they would talk about political issues later. During the 17 years of peace, the KIO worked with the government on making a new rule book, even though many people didn't agree with it. In 2011, the peace ended, and fighting started again because the KIA didn't want to change how they were organized, and they felt the government's rules didn't treat everyone fairly.

Fighting began on June 9, 2011, at a place called Ta-pein hydropower plan and continued into 2012. Many people had to leave their homes because of the fighting. Some were allowed to go to China, but many were sent back to Myanmar even though it was still unsafe there.

During the time of peace from 1994 to 2011, the KIO worked with other groups that also wanted more freedom. They wanted to change the rules so that Kachin State could have more control over its own affairs. When fighting started again in 2011, many people were hurt or had to leave their homes. Even though many Kachin people had to move, not many have chosen to live in other countries like the United States or Australia, compared to people from other groups in Myanmar.

Government

The government of Kachin State has three main parts: an executive branch, a legislature called the Kachin State Hluttaw, and a judiciary. These parts work together to manage the state.

Demographics

In 2014, Kachin State had a population of 1,689,441 people.

Kachin people make up the largest group in the state, with Bamar and Shan people also forming big parts of the population. After the 2014 Census in Myanmar, detailed information about ethnic groups was not shared by the government because of political and social concerns. In 2022, researchers looked at reports from 2018-2019 to study the ethnic makeup of Kachin State.

Buddhists are the largest religious group in Kachin State, making up 64.0% of the population. Other groups include Christians (33.8%), Muslims (1.6%), Hindus (0.4%), and animists (0.2%). Some people did not list a religion or were not counted.

Burmese and Jingpho are commonly spoken languages in Kachin State. Since 1948, many Burmese speakers have moved to the area, which has led some people to switch from speaking Jingpho to Burmese. Other tribes, such as the Zaiwa, the Rawang, and the Lisu, speak their own languages. English is also used often as a working language.

Economy

Kachin State's economy is mostly based on farming. Important crops include rice, teak, sugarcane, and opium. The area also has valuable minerals such as gold, jade, and rare-earth elements. Hpakant is famous for its jade mines. Bhamo is a key trading point between China and Myanmar, with lots of goods moving across the border.

Kachin State has large jade mines, with some of the biggest jade stones found there. Building big dams for hydroelectric power has also started, which will provide electricity mainly to China. The state is also a major source of rare earth elements, which are important for many modern technologies. However, mining these elements has caused environmental damage and affected local communities.

Transportation

Kachin State has several airports that help people travel, including Bhamo Airport, Myitkyina Airport, and Putao Airport. There is also a railroad that connects Myitkyina to Mandalay, passing through Sagaing. The train trip from Mandalay to Myitkyina can take between 21 to 30 hours.

Education

Education in Kachin State faces many challenges because of long-term conflicts that have moved many people from their homes. This makes it hard for students to attend school regularly. The main cities in Myanmar, like Yangon and Mandalay, have more educational chances than areas in Kachin State.

See also: List of universities in Kachin State

Health care

The health care in Myanmar, including in Kachin State, is not very good. The government does not spend much money on health care, and even though it is supposed to be free, patients still have to pay for medicines and treatments. Public hospitals often lack basic equipment and facilities. Health care in remote areas like Kachin State is especially poor, with even fewer resources available.