Kachin State
Coordinates: 26 ° 0 ' N , 97 ° 20' E
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ကချင်ပြည်နယ် Kachin State |
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| Capital | Myitkyina |
| surface | 89,041.80 km² |
| population | 1,689,441 (2014) |
| Population density | 19 inhabitants per km² |
| ethnicities |
Kachin , Bamar , Shan |
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The Kachin State ( Burmese ကချင်ပြည်နယ် , BGN / PCGN : kagyinbyinè) is one of the fifteen administrative units and the northernmost state of Myanmar (Burma).
geography
The Kachin State lies between 23 ° 27 'and 28 ° 25' north latitude and 96 ° 0 'and 98 ° 44' east longitude . It borders on China to the north and east , the Burmese Shan State to the south, the Burmese Sagaing region to the west and the Indian state of Arunachal Pradesh to the far northwest .
The area covers around 89,041 km² and is the third largest administrative unit in Myanmar after Shan State and the Sagaing region. The population is around 1.4 million. In terms of population density, Kachin State ranks next to last with 16 inhabitants per square kilometer, ahead of Chin State .
The capital Myitkyina and the city of Bhamo , both located on the upper reaches of the Irrawaddy , are the most important cities. Larger cities are Putao in the mountainous highlands in the northwest and Shinbwiyang in the far west at the foot of the Naga Mountains .
In the northernmost tip of the Kachin state lies the highest mountain in Myanmar at 5889 m, the Hkakabo Razi , on the southern edge of the Himalayas . About 100 km west of the imaginary line from Myitkyina to Bhamo lies the largest lake in Myanmar, the Indawgyi, halfway between these two cities .
population
The majority of the population consists of original Kachin (Burmese Jingpo). There are also 13 other ethnic groups, including the Burmese Bamar , Rawang , Lisu , Zaiwa , Maru , Yaywin , Lawngwaw , Lachyit and Shan .
Parts of Kachin have not been censured for more than 100 years. The results of the 2014 census (1,689,441 inhabitants) partly contain estimates. Official government figures say 57.8% are Buddhists and 36.4% are Christian . Most people speak kachin .
climate
The Kachin State is north of the Tropic of Capricorn and has a consistently humid climate, in the south moderately warm with average temperatures between 27 ° C in summer and 15 ° C in winter.
administration
The Kachin state is divided into the districts of Putao in the north, Myitkyina in the middle, Bhamo in the south and Mohnyin in the southwest.
They are further organized in 18 parishes and 709 parish districts.
economy
The economy is based on agriculture and the trade and smuggling of jade and drugs . Agricultural products are rice and sugar cane . Gold and jade are mined in the mountains . 50–80% of the jade production is said to be smuggled into China. The local population as well as the government have little from this income.
history
The Kachin State was formed in 1948 from the civil districts of Bhamo and Myitkyina together with the larger northern district of Puta-o. The Kachin live predominantly in the mountainous areas, while the Shan and Bamar live in the lower valleys of the south and along the more densely populated railway corridor.
The northern border was not marked until the 1960s , which led to border disputes with neighboring China , which has been claiming the entire territory of Kachin State since the 18th century .
Kachin troops used to form a significant part of the Burmese army. In 1962 the constitution of the Union of Burma was unilaterally suspended by General Ne Win and the Kachin withdrew from the army. The Kachin then formed the Kachin Independent Army (KIA) under the Kachin Independence Organization (KIO) to defend Kachin.
The Kachin State was practically independent from the mid-1960s until 1994 , with the exception of the larger cities and the rail corridor. When the Burmese army launched an offensive in 1994 and brought the jade mines in Kachin State under their control, a peace agreement was signed. It allows the KIO to control the state under the sovereignty of the Myanmar military junta . Numerous splinter groups of the KIO, who do not agree to these agreements, ensure a largely unstable situation.
In October 2015 a new peace agreement was signed between the government and various rebel groups. The KIA refused to sign the peace agreement. After Nobel Peace Prize laureate Aung San Suu Kyi came to power in 2016, hopes were for an improvement in the situation, but the situation has actually deteriorated.
literature
- Nicholas Farrelly: Ceasing Ceasefire? Kachin Politics Beyond the Stalemates. In: Myanmar's Transition. Openings, obstacles and opportunities. Institute of Southeast Asia Studies, Singapore 2012, pp. 52–71.
- U Min Thu: Glimpses of Kachin Traditions and Customs , self-published (300 copies), Mytkyina, Myanmar 2002.
Individual evidence
- ↑ The 2014 Myanmar Population and Housing Census: The Union Report
- ^ People's War on Drugs in Kachin State: Indication of Failed Policies . In: Transnational Institute . March 21, 2016 ( tni.org [accessed August 20, 2018]).
- ↑ a b c Libby Hogan: 'Slow genocide': Myanmar's invisible war on the Kachin Christian minority. May 14, 2018, accessed August 20, 2018 .
- ↑ Sakse Collective, The Diplomat: Kachin: Hardly a Ceasefire . In: The Diplomat . ( thediplomat.com [accessed August 20, 2018]).
