Today, in the midst of a renewed civil war that is entering its 4th anniversary, Kachins far and wide are experiencing a resurgence of interest in their cultural and political past, and a growing awareness of the need to preserve the Kachin identity. As such, due prominence to Duwa Zan Hta Sin’s standing as a […]
The border dispute between newly independent Burma and China over a large stretch of un-demarcated border was a longstanding one, dating back to the time of British colonial rule. China had never accepted the boundary north of 35 degrees Latitude – that is, Burma’s high conical peak above Sadung Subdivision in Kachin State, along the […]
The Kachin Duwas or chiefs chronicled here are those from the past 2 centuries, notable for their military prowess, fabulous riches in jade, their wit or visionary leadership. The stories are culled from oral traditions, personal anecdotes, and whatever written records are available, given the lack of a Kachin script until the late 19th Century. […]
The great saga-tellers, diviners and shamans of the animist era are today, a vanished or vanishing breed in the Kachin way of life. The conversion en masse to Christianity or Buddhism, and the subsequent abandonment of old ways have so reduced their ranks and relevance that it would indeed be a rare sight to see […]
On April 2, 2014, members of the U.S. House of Representatives introduced the “Burma Human Rights and Democracy Act of 2014” or H.R. 4377. Ohio Congressman Steve Chabot, a Republican, sponsored the bill, and several other representatives from both sides of the aisle co-sponsored it. H.R. 4377 places restrictions on U.S. military assistance to Burma, […]
By Pangmu Shayi Saturday, April 26, 2014 Major General Gun Maw’s visit to the US in early April generated a good deal of media attention, as it came at a time when armed clashes between government forces and the KIA, the armed wing of the Kachin Independence Organization (KIO), were occurring almost daily despite ongoing […]
